Newspaper Review: What Killed Audu… Who Becomes The Governor If APC Wins?

The major issues of focus in the five Nigerian daily newspapers under review today, Monday, November 23, are mostly on the death of the All Progress Congress candidate in the Kogi state governorship election, Prince Audu Abubakar.

There have been many questions following the abrupt death. While some ask to know what really killed him, others are asking what if the APC eventually wins, who becomes the governor? Is it the running mate or the first runner up if there was a primary election held prior to the general election. Some legal luminaries have also taken pen to paper to explain what the law says. Below are some of the reports by Nigerian Newspapers.

Vanguard reports thus – The wait for a new governor of Kogi state following last Saturday’s, November 21, governorship election turned into a constitutional crisis, yesterday November 22, the leading candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu, died after he had taken a commanding lead over the incumbent governor, Captain Idris Wada.

Vanguard front page Monday, November 23, 2015

The Nation on its front page major headline caption ‘Kogi: Confusion as APC Candidate Audu Dies at 68’, reports that Audu was leading by 41,000 votes (he scored 240,867) ahead of incumbent Governor Wada who in on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and scored 199,514 votes.

It further reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the exercise inconclusive, saying there would be supplementary election in 91 units —a decision condemned by senior legal experts as “simply wrong”.

The Nation front page Monday, November 23, 2015

With the captivating broad headline on its front page captioned thus: ‘Audu: Sad End’ and other riders, the Daily Sun gives a detailed analysis of what the law says about who shall become the governor now that the APC flag bearer is dead supposing he the party eventually wins the election.

Part of the legal analysis reads: With the death of Prince Abuba­kar Audu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Kogi State gover­norship candidate in last Saturday’s election, many questions have been raised: What will become of the governorship election, which was declared inconclusive by the Inde­pendent National Electoral Com­mission (INEC)? Will INEC order a fresh election? Will Audu’s running mate, James Falek, become gover­nor when the election is eventually concluded?

Daily Sun front page Monday, November 23, 2015

As to what killed Audu, contrary to what a family source said about his demise, The Punch reports that although the cause of Audu’s death was not confirmed on Sunday, November 22, but he was said to have died as a result of a heart attack according to the confirmation by his close political associate, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello. But there are still controversies as regards what killed the late APC flag bearer.

The Punch front page Monday, November 23, 2015

With ‘APC’s Audu dies, after leading in Kogi guber polls’ as its major headline, The Guardian on its part reports he was near realising his coveted ambition: to return to the Kogi state Government House. But yesterday, his pet dream was scuttled irretrievably. He died.

It further reports that before Prince Audu’s sudden demise, there had been jubilation and back-slapping that accompanied the declaration of most of the results of Saturday’s governorship election in which he was leading with over 41, 000 votes.

Sources close to the family in Ogbonicha said he died even before the collation of results commenced.

The Guardian front page Monday, November 23, 2015

Meanwhile, the late Abubakar Audu is set to be buried in his home town, Ogbonicha in Ofu local government area of the state.

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