APC will replace Faleke if need be - Odigie-Oyegun
Abuja - Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief
John Odigie-Oyegun, says James Faleke will be replaced as
deputy governor-elect should the need arise.
Odigie-Oyegun said this in Abuja on Wednesday in an
interaction with newsmen.
Faleke, who was running mate to late Abubakar Audu in the
November 21 gubernatorial elections in Kogi, rejected the
same position after the party replaced Audu with Alhaji Yayaha
Bello, who was runner-up in the party’s primaries.
Faleke demanded that the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) should declare him governor-elect, and
chose Audu’s son, Mohammed, as his running mate. He
threatened to court of INEC failed to do so, and had since gone
to court.
Odigie-Oyegun said: "On the Faleke issue, it is rather a
straightforward and easy issue; we have replaced a
governorship candidate.
"If the need arises and subject to what the law says, we will
also get a deputy governorship candidate but we will cross
those bridges as they arise but they have not arisen yet."
On Falake’s statement not to be available for swearing-in on
January 27, 2016, he said, "as a political party, we simply
understand the frustration that emanated from the death of
Abubakar Audu.
"However, it is normal for us to accommodate the immediate
reactions coming from the people involved.
"They were at the gate of victory but the gate was shut in their
faces because of the unfortunate death of their mentor,
Abubakar Audu, who would have been our governor in the
state.
"So, a lot of things which normally we would not have
accepted happened but we have to accept them so long that
everybody will simmer down as time pass by.
"Wielding the big stick in a situation like this might not be
appropriate but there will be a timeline to it, enough will be
enough at a certain time.’’
Also read: Gov Wada sets up hand-over commitee
According to the chairman, issues in the state have been
resolved in favour of the APC even as the entire polity had to
be original to finding solutions to problems which were not
detailed in the Constitution.
"In the next few weeks depending on who goes to court or who
doesn't, we will know the boundaries of the law in respect of
these issues.
"As at now we are very glad with the results that we have got
and I'm very sure that they would be upheld virtually in every
tribunal whatsoever, because we have adopted simple
commonsense solution, legally defendable," he said.
He said that the party was not disturbed by the cases in court
on the Kogi situation, stating that it was still evolving.
"We cross every bridge as we get to it; we'll wait and see who
does what and work out answers that meet each situation
"We have thought the process through and we have won the
election in Kogi; those we feel aggrieved, it is for them to call
to question whatever they feel aggrieved about and we are
going to meet them on those grounds.
"For us in APC, Kogi is a settled issue; if you want to go to the
tribunal, we'll meet you there. If you want to go to court, we'll
meet you there," he said.
Odigie-Oyegun said that the party’s stance on the
controversial Bill for an Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petitions and
Other Matters known as the anti-social media bill was known.
He said that the social media space needed clean up as the
use of outright abuses and insults instead of constructive
criticisms was wrong.
On subsidy, he said: "whether subsidy goes or stays is an
intricate and major issue.
"If it has to go, the government must have to construct the
palliatives to cushion the effect of the hardships that may
come on the ordinary Nigerian.
"Anyway, eventually, subsidy will have to go but we have not
reached that stage yet.
"You cannot just wake up and announce that subsidy has been
removed without putting the adequate programmes in place to
cushion the negative aspects that may be involved."
The chairman told the newsmen that minimum wage was a
delicate issue because there were a lot of forces at work.
"The economy was run aground so badly that they have to
borrow to pay salaries and this was not the creation of APC.
"Today all governments are borrowing to pay salaries and that
cannot be sustained. What the solution is on the longer term,
the machinery of governance is still working on.
"There is no method that is adopted that will not create
stresses on any system but at the end of the day, we will find
an answer," he said.
On Bayelsa election outcome, Odigie-Oyegun said that the
party was not satisfied but said that since INEC had made a
pronouncement on it, the option the party had was to accept it
or go to court.
"We are waiting for the processes to be concluded, but I must
say we have a lot of reservations about what has gone on up
till the present moment.
"If we win as we expect to win, the kind of reactions that we’ll
take will be different," he said.
- NAN
John Odigie-Oyegun, says James Faleke will be replaced as
deputy governor-elect should the need arise.
Odigie-Oyegun said this in Abuja on Wednesday in an
interaction with newsmen.
Faleke, who was running mate to late Abubakar Audu in the
November 21 gubernatorial elections in Kogi, rejected the
same position after the party replaced Audu with Alhaji Yayaha
Bello, who was runner-up in the party’s primaries.
Faleke demanded that the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) should declare him governor-elect, and
chose Audu’s son, Mohammed, as his running mate. He
threatened to court of INEC failed to do so, and had since gone
to court.
Odigie-Oyegun said: "On the Faleke issue, it is rather a
straightforward and easy issue; we have replaced a
governorship candidate.
"If the need arises and subject to what the law says, we will
also get a deputy governorship candidate but we will cross
those bridges as they arise but they have not arisen yet."
On Falake’s statement not to be available for swearing-in on
January 27, 2016, he said, "as a political party, we simply
understand the frustration that emanated from the death of
Abubakar Audu.
"However, it is normal for us to accommodate the immediate
reactions coming from the people involved.
"They were at the gate of victory but the gate was shut in their
faces because of the unfortunate death of their mentor,
Abubakar Audu, who would have been our governor in the
state.
"So, a lot of things which normally we would not have
accepted happened but we have to accept them so long that
everybody will simmer down as time pass by.
"Wielding the big stick in a situation like this might not be
appropriate but there will be a timeline to it, enough will be
enough at a certain time.’’
Also read: Gov Wada sets up hand-over commitee
According to the chairman, issues in the state have been
resolved in favour of the APC even as the entire polity had to
be original to finding solutions to problems which were not
detailed in the Constitution.
"In the next few weeks depending on who goes to court or who
doesn't, we will know the boundaries of the law in respect of
these issues.
"As at now we are very glad with the results that we have got
and I'm very sure that they would be upheld virtually in every
tribunal whatsoever, because we have adopted simple
commonsense solution, legally defendable," he said.
He said that the party was not disturbed by the cases in court
on the Kogi situation, stating that it was still evolving.
"We cross every bridge as we get to it; we'll wait and see who
does what and work out answers that meet each situation
"We have thought the process through and we have won the
election in Kogi; those we feel aggrieved, it is for them to call
to question whatever they feel aggrieved about and we are
going to meet them on those grounds.
"For us in APC, Kogi is a settled issue; if you want to go to the
tribunal, we'll meet you there. If you want to go to court, we'll
meet you there," he said.
Odigie-Oyegun said that the party’s stance on the
controversial Bill for an Act to Prohibit Frivolous Petitions and
Other Matters known as the anti-social media bill was known.
He said that the social media space needed clean up as the
use of outright abuses and insults instead of constructive
criticisms was wrong.
On subsidy, he said: "whether subsidy goes or stays is an
intricate and major issue.
"If it has to go, the government must have to construct the
palliatives to cushion the effect of the hardships that may
come on the ordinary Nigerian.
"Anyway, eventually, subsidy will have to go but we have not
reached that stage yet.
"You cannot just wake up and announce that subsidy has been
removed without putting the adequate programmes in place to
cushion the negative aspects that may be involved."
The chairman told the newsmen that minimum wage was a
delicate issue because there were a lot of forces at work.
"The economy was run aground so badly that they have to
borrow to pay salaries and this was not the creation of APC.
"Today all governments are borrowing to pay salaries and that
cannot be sustained. What the solution is on the longer term,
the machinery of governance is still working on.
"There is no method that is adopted that will not create
stresses on any system but at the end of the day, we will find
an answer," he said.
On Bayelsa election outcome, Odigie-Oyegun said that the
party was not satisfied but said that since INEC had made a
pronouncement on it, the option the party had was to accept it
or go to court.
"We are waiting for the processes to be concluded, but I must
say we have a lot of reservations about what has gone on up
till the present moment.
"If we win as we expect to win, the kind of reactions that we’ll
take will be different," he said.
- NAN
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