Finally, Kogi swears in Achuba as Bello’s deputy

Simon Achuba, former deputy speaker of the Kogi state house of assembly, has been sworn in as deputy governor of the state.

This comes two weeks after Yahaya Bello became the first governor in the country to take the oath of office without a deputy.

James Faleke, running mate to the late Abubakar Audu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 21 election, had rejected the offer of the party to be Bello’s deputy.

The APC replaced Audu with Bello in the supplementary election, which Faleke was opposed to.

Faleke had faulted the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the substantive election inconclusive, arguing that he ought to have been declared governor-elect, since Audu was leading in the election.

He filed a suit at the governorship election tribunal, challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for declaring the poll inconclusive, and insisting that the election was won by the late Audu.

Faleke also approached a high court, demanding that he should be declared governor.

The new deputy governor hails from Ibaji local government area of the state and was a former deputy governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

He defected to the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) a few weeks to the governorship election.

Bello had earlier written a letter to the assembly to seek Achuba’s confirmation.