Faleke to APC: Zone guber ticket to Kogi west for equity sake

James Faleke, lawmaker representing Ikeja federal constituency in the house of representatives, has asked the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi to zone the party’s governorship ticket to the west senatorial district of the state.

The governorship election in Kogi is billed to hold on November 11.

On March 27, Faleke was reported to have withdrawn from the Kogi governorship race “in deference to the national interest”. 

In a statement on Sunday, Faleke said zoning the governorship ticket to Kogi west will foster peace, equity and fairness in the state.

“For equity, justice and fairness, it is only reasonable to lend my voice to the call by many that our great party, the All Progressives Congress, should ensure the candidate for the governorship election emerge democratically from Kogi West,” Faleke said. 

“For a heterogeneous state such as Kogi, giving all parts of the state a sense of belonging is key to peaceful coexistence among the several ethnic groups in the state.

“For more than 16 years, our brothers from the eastern senatorial district held sway in Lugard House through late Prince Abubakar Audu, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris and Captain Idris Wada respectively. 

“Kogi Central by the end of the tenure of Yahaya Adoza Bello would have been in the saddle for 8 years, uninterrupted. While not discounting the right of those concerned to contest for any office, I believe that the time has come to be just and fair to all.

“My position is not premised on any sense of entitlement but on the ideals of equity and fairness that the late Abubakar Audu preached before his untimely death. 

“APC cannot afford to be in opposition in Kogi state and all hands must be on deck to ensure a convincing win in the November 22 governorship election.”

The lawmaker also asked Yahaya Bello, the state governor, to lend his voice and make efforts in ensuring the party candidate comes from Kogi west. 

“I hereby appeal to my brother, Yahaya Bello to recall the circumstances of his ascension to power and do all within his sense of reasoning, as the leader of the party in the state, in ensuring he doesn’t toy with this rare opportunity to be on the positive side of history. Just as the Progressive Governors of our party made history before the APC national  convention and those names will remain written in gold in Nigeria,” Faleke said.