Confusion in Kogi as new deputy Governor Usman Egbunu nominated ; Tribunal declines to stop Bello’s inauguration

Kogi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Lokoja yesterday struck out two motions seeking interlocutory injunction to stop the inauguration of the Governor-elect, Yahaya Bello as the governor of the state.
Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Halima Mohammed, in her ruling dismissed the motions, saying though the tribunal has Jurisdiction to entertain such prayers, but the motions were not contained in the original petitions brought by the plaintiffs involved.
She said granting the motions filled by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Labour Party, LP, will definitely affect the life of the original case before the court.
The Tribunal also dismissed the motion filed by Reuben Egwaba, the counsel to Labour Party seeking to stop the inauguration of Yahaya Bello because he (Bello) has no Deputy as at the time of the supplementary election of 5th December 2015.
Justice Mohammed urged all the parties in the case to prepare for accelerated hearing of the substantive case which will commence from next sitting, warning that the tribunal will no longer entertain the pre -hearing matters again.
Meanwhile, the campaign coordinators of the Kogi State governor-elect, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, in the Eastern Senatorial district of the State yesterday unanimously endorsed an Abuja based publisher Mr. Gowon Usman Egbunu as their preferred deputy governorship candidate.
This is coming on the heels of an appeal by the factional Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Godwin Osuyi, that all aggrieved parties in the political crisis currently rocking the state to embrace peace and support the incoming governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
The endorsement of Gowon Usman Egbunu was contained in a-six-page letter addressed to the Governor-elect and signed by Dr. Yakubu Ugwalawo, the Leader and Senatorial Coordinator as well as Hon. Hassan Haruna, Hon. Yahaya Menyaga and Prince Isah Abdullahi among other co-coordinators.
In the letter, with copies were sent to the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, the National Deputy Chairman (North Central Zone) of the Party, National Secretary, State Chairman of the APC, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment (who is from Kogi State) and all APC
Senators from Kogi State, the Coordinators pointed out that the nomination of Mr. Egbunu was based on the fact that he is tested, matured, creative and dogged.
In related development, the factional Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Godwin Osuyi, in a statement made available to Vanguard in Lokoja yesterday, urged all aggrieved parties in the political crisis currently rocking the state to embrace peace and support the incoming governor of Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
The factional speaker, Godwin Osuyi, said that the state will benefit more in an atmosphere of peace than political rancour.

Kogi East APC denies endorsing Egbunu as Yahaya Bello’s running mate

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress from Kogi East have distanced themselves from reports in the newspapers that they have endorsed one Gowon Usman Egbunu as Deputy Governor to Kogi Governor-Elect, Alh. Yahaya Bello, claiming the purported endorsement was forged.
A number of the APC stakeholders from Kogi East told Vanguard that the purported endorsement was not a part of the resolution of the meeting of the Kogi East caucus.
According to one of the party elders at the meeting who craved anonymity, the endorsement clause was smuggled into their resolutions by politicians who are “self-serving”.
“Our resolution at the meeting was that we have confidence in the capacity of the Governor-Elect to deliver Kogi from its present rot in the state.
We also made a clarion call to be given the chance to recommend a certain percentage of those who will drive the New Direction vision of the new governor, having campaigned with him in the build-up to the primaries.
“What baffles us now is how they came up with a resolution that we have endorsed someone as Deputy Governor to our principal. We have confidence in Alh. Yahaya Bello to determine whomever he wishes to work with as Deputy Governor”.
When propped further, the source said the issue of who to deputise the Governor-Elect was not even discussed at the meeting, stating that doing so will amount to demeaning the capacity of Alh. Yahaya Adoza Bello.
He said the people of Kogi East are ready to support anyone chosen as Deputy Governor by the Governor-Elect, calling on the leaders of the party in Kogi East to come together and show commitment to the New Direction mantra.
Some of the leaders who confirmed to Vanguard that they never discussed the Deputy Governorship issue nor endorse anyone are: Sule Amodu, Alh. Yahaya Meyanga, Peter Akasakowa, Friday Nico Adejoh and Jubril Usman Courage.
Also, the leaders accused a certain leader of the party from Kogi East for complicity in the forgery scandal.