Kogi APC Crisis: Faleke’s Tribunal Suit An Affront To The Authority Of The Party, Says Owotunse

A human rights activist, Mr. Emmanuel Owotunse has condemned Hon. James Abiodun Faleke for approaching the tribunal over the choice of Alhaji Yahaya Bello as the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) to replace late Prince Abubakar Audu, saying Hon. Faleke’s action was an affront to the authority of the party.

Speaking with Vanguard in Lokoja, Monday, Owotunse said the action of the party was based on the fact that Yahaya Bello was the most constitutionally qualified to replace the late Audu.

“Faleke is taking too many wrong steps. His lawyers are surely misleading him into taking decisions that will burn his political fingers.

“Moreso, the fact that Faleke is a close ally of the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is raising concerns that the decision of Faleke to go to the tribunal may affect party cohesion as the National Working Committee will surely be disappointed by the new twist in the whole saga.

“I am not happy that Faleke is giving a wrong impression of himself. He set out to be Deputy Governor ab initio. Why and when did he become desperate to be the governor of the state? If the party gave him the ticket for the supplementary poll, the tribunal would have nullified his election because he never took part in the governorship primaries. Is he indirectly working for the emergence of PDP?

“Faleke should beware of political jobbers around him who are reaping bountifully from his wrong steps. He should accept the position of his party and move on with his political life,” Owotunse said.

Faleke had made it clear after filing his petition before the tribunal, that the party was not involved.