By Abdullahi Mohammed
The All Progressive Congress,APC governorship aspirant in Kogi state, Prince Abubakar Audu stated that he decided to join the race because of the clamour for him to return.Speaking on Monday while procuring his nomination form at the APC National Secretariat, Audu said ” my people especially want me to contest for the governorship election. I have been barricaded and mobbed severally at Lokoja, Koton Karfi, Itobe and I told them is not a high way matter; but they insisted ( I must )declare” .
The former governor said further,” I agreed to contest to take the state out of the wood. I have tried to wriggle out of it but it was impossible …In a practical demonstration of their good will, they contributed money amounting to N5.5 million to show they meant business (which ) was used for the procurement of the form this afternoon .So I have no excuse to wriggle out of the race” .
Audu added that he was actin based on the fact that the voice of the people is the voice of God. “This is what got me into the contest and as a responsible father and as one of the pioneers of Kogi state ,it will be very irresponsible on my part to reject this call on my part because if the baby is sick. The state is my baby having been governor before 1992\93 the electorate said the baby is sick and I have abandoned them that is why I answered their call”.
Audu also reacted to clamour for power shift where some aspirants complained that power has resided in a certain part of the state for too long .He disclosed that ” I have about 8 gentlemen, some professors, doctors,retired army and navy (officers) .They came to me with this call to withdraw from the contest and bring somebody from the central and west to be the candidate of the party. I told them but majority of the people said I should contest and you are saying a different thing .”
The former governor of Kano state who is now a serving senator , Rabiu Musa K wankwaso who came to give moral support to Audu showered encomium on him . ” it is a historic day for my brother and friend Audu to collect his nomination form. Let me take the opportunity to thank the people of Kogi state and other brothers and sisters all over the country who persuaded and convinced him to pick his nomination form to be the aspirant and by God’s grace the candidate and at the end of the day the next governor of Kogi state. I owe all our achievement in kano to him . I am attributing to him due to (his) advice and we have be friends for long . Alot of credit should be given to him because he gave me a lot of advice on what to do based on his experience in Kogi state” Kwankwaso stated.
The National Organising Secretary of the party Osita Izunaso who gave the nomination form to Audu urged APC aspirants to ensure a unity front in order to win the election.
He said,” We will do what you want,free and fair primary election like in Lagos when Kwankwaso lost and came second he embraced the winner. No loser no winner .So in Kogi state, if the winner and loser embrace each other ,we will capture Kogi state . By the time we are through, the APC might have spread to every part of the country.
“The most important is the field, not the primary . The primary is a family matter the APC doesn’t impose candidate on the people. Rather the people impose candidate on the party”, he assured.
