Supporters of late Prince Abubakar Audu, and by extension, his son, Mohammed Audu took to the streets of Itobe in Ajaokuta Local Government area of Kogi state on Saturday protesting against the decision of the All Progressives Congress to present Alhaji Yahaya Bello , as the party’s governorship candidate.
Bello, according to a letter written by the party chairman, would replace Audu, who died 22 November on the ballot for the supplementary election scheduled for 5 December.
The protest forced motorists off the roads in the area.
Some travellers had to continue their journey using the waterways at Shintako.
The protesters who were mainly Igala-speaking said it would be unfair to have an Ebira as governor of the state when the Chief Judge and the Speaker of the state assembly are also Ebira.
A lawyer who was travelling to Odu in Dekina Local Government area said he had to make a detour to avoid running into the protesters.
He said, “I did not envisage this, but I had no option than to turn round and continue on my journey through Shintako. I had paid N2, 500 to put my vehicle on the ferry across the water to Bassa, from where I continued”.
There was no reaction from the police on what they would do to contain the protest.
Kogi state since the death of Audu, the APC governorship candidate has been thrown into an unprecedented political deadlock, after the election which he had won was declared inconclusive by INEC. The PDP candidate wants INEC to declare him the winner. Audu’s running mate, James Abiodun Faleke, says he should be the automatic inheritor of the mandate, after the 5 December Supplementary election. Some lawyers have argued that the supplementary election was unnecessary as the election was already won and lost on 21 November. And the APC, following INEC’s position, has gone ahead to nominate a governorship candidate.
It is expected the next few days would witness a string of lawsuits to resolve the political jam.