National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie -Oyegun has said that the party picked Yahaya Bello as replacement for the late Abubakar Audu in the inconclusive Kogi State governorship election in order to avoid legal drawbacks.
He said this during a meeting with aggrieved party members from Kogi East Senatorial District in order to settle differences in the aftermath of the passage of Audu, the APC’s governorship candidate.
Oyegun said, “We took the decision in a circumstance that someone was bound to get offended. And we were very conscious of the very peculiar circumstance of a group that was on the doorstep of victory.
“So in the circumstance, we did what we interpreted legally as the best way out of the jam we were in, always having our eyes on the PDP and what they may likely bring up in court.
“INEC asked us to replace the late Prince Abubakar Audu, good! Which one can we defend better if they go to court. That was the basis of our decision. But of course it created understandable anguish.”
The party members were led by the Kogi State APC Chairman, Haddy Amefuo.
Meanwhile Audu’s former running mate, Mr Abiodun Faleke has raised the alarm that his life is in danger.
In a series of tweets, he said that ‘Governor Yahaya Bello should be held responsible’ if anything happens to him.