Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
Prince Abubakar Audu political family has said James Faleke has no power to hand over the political structure to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, saying he was free to leave the structure to support Bello’s re-election.
The political family was reacting to a comment credited to the member representing Ikeja federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Abiodun Faleke where he was said to have promised to hand over the structure of the late political titan to Governor Yahaya Bello, describing his comment as unfortunate and betrayal of Prince Abubakar Audu in death.
The group said while it cannot hold Faleke from tearing the fabrics of his political clan in the State, he should stop the misconception of handing our group to Yahaya Bello.
“We are not commodities that can be sold to a buyer in any open market. Our political participation in Kogi State predates the incursion of Faleke into Kogi politics. How then can we become pawns in his political game of chess?” the statement asked.
Spokesman of the group, Chief John Odekina which was made available to newsmen in Lokoja on Wednesday, said the choice of Faleke to work for Governor Bello was his personal decision and it does not reflect the decision of the political family of prince Audu.
The group wondered why James Abiodun Faleke who was co-opted as a Lagos representative from Ikeja and Lagos politician, to deputise the late former governor in a relationship that did not last more than six months could usurp out of his political wisdom, the large political empire of Prince Abubakar Audu which predate him coming to Kogi State.
“Some of us have been following late Prince Abubakar Audu since his days of NRC and we moved together to APP, ANPP, ACN and eventually to APC until the death of our leader. We wonder how a stranger who joined the family barely six months to the demise of Prince Audu think he can sell us as a cheap commodity to governor Bello. He must certainly have an over blotted image of himself.
“We want to speak to the conscience of Honourable Faleke to remember how Yahaya Bello treated our leader during the campaign even after his death; he went further to set up his son, Mohammed Audu accusing him of armed robbery, yet upon all these, Faleke turned through the back door to hobnob with our crucifier”, he said.
The group urged the general public and the large political family of the sage, to disregard such undeserved and misleading statements from James Faleke as he lacks the capacity and influence to mortgage us for his own selfish interest.