APC will replace Faleke if need be - Odigie- Oyegun
Abuja - Chairman of All Progressives Congress(APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, says JamesFaleke will be replaced as deputy governor-electshould the need arise.Odigie-Oyegun said this in Abuja on Wednesdayin an interaction with newsmen.Faleke, who was running mate to late AbubakarAudu in the November 21 gubernatorial electionsin Kogi, rejected the same position after theparty replaced Audu with Alhaji Yayaha Bello,who was runner-up in the party’s primaries.Faleke demanded that the Independent NationalElectoral Commission (INEC) should declare himgovernor-elect, and chose Audu’s son,Mohammed, as his running mate. He threatenedto court of INEC failed to do so, and had sincegone to court.Odigie-Oyegun said: "On the Faleke issue, it israther a straightforward and easy issue; we havereplaced a governorship candidate."If the need arises and subject to what the lawsays, we will also get a deputy governorshipcandidate but we will cross those bridges asthey arise but they have not arisen yet."On Falake’s statement not to be available forswearing-in on January 27, 2016, he said, "as apolitical party, we simply understand thefrustration that emanated from the death ofAbubakar Audu."However, it is normal for us to accommodatethe immediate reactions coming from the peopleinvolved."They were at the gate of victory but the gatewas shut in their faces because of theunfortunate death of their mentor, AbubakarAudu, who would have been our governor in thestate."So, a lot of things which normally we would nothave accepted happened but we have to acceptthem so long that everybody will simmer down astime pass by."Wielding the big stick in a situation like thismight not be appropriate but there will be atimeline to it, enough will be enough at a certaintime.’’According to the chairman, issues in the statehave been resolved in favour of the APC even asthe entire polity had to be original to findingsolutions to problems which were not detailed inthe Constitution."In the next few weeks depending on who goesto court or who doesn't, we will know theboundaries of the law in respect of these issues."As at now we are very glad with the results thatwe have got and I'm very sure that they wouldbe upheld virtually in every tribunal whatsoever,because we have adopted simple commonsensesolution, legally defendable," he said.He said that the party was not disturbed by thecases in court on the Kogi situation, stating thatit was still evolving."We cross every bridge as we get to it; we'll waitand see who does what and work out answersthat meet each situation"We have thought the process through and wehave won the election in Kogi; those we feelaggrieved, it is for them to call to questionwhatever they feel aggrieved about and we aregoing to meet them on those grounds."For us in APC, Kogi is a settled issue; if youwant to go to the tribunal, we'll meet you there.If you want to go to court, we'll meet you there,"he said.Odigie-Oyegun said that the party’s stance onthe controversial Bill for an Act to ProhibitFrivolous Petitions and Other Matters known asthe anti-social media bill was known.He said that the social media space neededclean up as the use of outright abuses andinsults instead of constructive criticisms waswrong.On subsidy, he said: "whether subsidy goes orstays is an intricate and major issue."If it has to go, the government must have toconstruct the palliatives to cushion the effect ofthe hardships that may come on the ordinaryNigerian."Anyway, eventually, subsidy will have to go butwe have not reached that stage yet."You cannot just wake up and announce thatsubsidy has been removed without putting theadequate programmes in place to cushion thenegative aspects that may be involved."The chairman told the newsmen that minimumwage was a delicate issue because there were alot of forces at work."The economy was run aground so badly thatthey have to borrow to pay salaries and this wasnot the creation of APC."Today all governments are borrowing to paysalaries and that cannot be sustained. What thesolution is on the longer term, the machinery ofgovernance is still working on."There is no method that is adopted that will notcreate stresses on any system but at the end ofthe day, we will find an answer," he said.On Bayelsa election outcome, Odigie-Oyegunsaid that the party was not satisfied but saidthat since INEC had made a pronouncement onit, the option the party had was to accept it orgo to court."We are waiting for the processes to beconcluded, but I must say we have a lot ofreservations about what has gone on up till thepresent moment."If we win as we expect to win, the kind ofreactions that we’ll take will be different," hesaid.
Abuja - Chairman of All Progressives Congress(APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, says JamesFaleke will be replaced as deputy governor-electshould the need arise.Odigie-Oyegun said this in Abuja on Wednesdayin an interaction with newsmen.Faleke, who was running mate to late AbubakarAudu in the November 21 gubernatorial electionsin Kogi, rejected the same position after theparty replaced Audu with Alhaji Yayaha Bello,who was runner-up in the party’s primaries.Faleke demanded that the Independent NationalElectoral Commission (INEC) should declare himgovernor-elect, and chose Audu’s son,Mohammed, as his running mate. He threatenedto court of INEC failed to do so, and had sincegone to court.Odigie-Oyegun said: "On the Faleke issue, it israther a straightforward and easy issue; we havereplaced a governorship candidate."If the need arises and subject to what the lawsays, we will also get a deputy governorshipcandidate but we will cross those bridges asthey arise but they have not arisen yet."On Falake’s statement not to be available forswearing-in on January 27, 2016, he said, "as apolitical party, we simply understand thefrustration that emanated from the death ofAbubakar Audu."However, it is normal for us to accommodatethe immediate reactions coming from the peopleinvolved."They were at the gate of victory but the gatewas shut in their faces because of theunfortunate death of their mentor, AbubakarAudu, who would have been our governor in thestate."So, a lot of things which normally we would nothave accepted happened but we have to acceptthem so long that everybody will simmer down astime pass by."Wielding the big stick in a situation like thismight not be appropriate but there will be atimeline to it, enough will be enough at a certaintime.’’According to the chairman, issues in the statehave been resolved in favour of the APC even asthe entire polity had to be original to findingsolutions to problems which were not detailed inthe Constitution."In the next few weeks depending on who goesto court or who doesn't, we will know theboundaries of the law in respect of these issues."As at now we are very glad with the results thatwe have got and I'm very sure that they wouldbe upheld virtually in every tribunal whatsoever,because we have adopted simple commonsensesolution, legally defendable," he said.He said that the party was not disturbed by thecases in court on the Kogi situation, stating thatit was still evolving."We cross every bridge as we get to it; we'll waitand see who does what and work out answersthat meet each situation"We have thought the process through and wehave won the election in Kogi; those we feelaggrieved, it is for them to call to questionwhatever they feel aggrieved about and we aregoing to meet them on those grounds."For us in APC, Kogi is a settled issue; if youwant to go to the tribunal, we'll meet you there.If you want to go to court, we'll meet you there,"he said.Odigie-Oyegun said that the party’s stance onthe controversial Bill for an Act to ProhibitFrivolous Petitions and Other Matters known asthe anti-social media bill was known.He said that the social media space neededclean up as the use of outright abuses andinsults instead of constructive criticisms waswrong.On subsidy, he said: "whether subsidy goes orstays is an intricate and major issue."If it has to go, the government must have toconstruct the palliatives to cushion the effect ofthe hardships that may come on the ordinaryNigerian."Anyway, eventually, subsidy will have to go butwe have not reached that stage yet."You cannot just wake up and announce thatsubsidy has been removed without putting theadequate programmes in place to cushion thenegative aspects that may be involved."The chairman told the newsmen that minimumwage was a delicate issue because there were alot of forces at work."The economy was run aground so badly thatthey have to borrow to pay salaries and this wasnot the creation of APC."Today all governments are borrowing to paysalaries and that cannot be sustained. What thesolution is on the longer term, the machinery ofgovernance is still working on."There is no method that is adopted that will notcreate stresses on any system but at the end ofthe day, we will find an answer," he said.On Bayelsa election outcome, Odigie-Oyegunsaid that the party was not satisfied but saidthat since INEC had made a pronouncement onit, the option the party had was to accept it orgo to court."We are waiting for the processes to beconcluded, but I must say we have a lot ofreservations about what has gone on up till thepresent moment."If we win as we expect to win, the kind ofreactions that we’ll take will be different," hesaid.
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