Olufemi Samson Aduwo, President of Rights Monitoring Group and the Executive Director of Centre for Convention on Democratic Integrity (CCDI) and RMG, a partner of World Bank and CCDI in an exclusive interview with Top Celebrities Magazine, bares his mind on the Kogi State governorship election.

How did you see the election in Kogi State?

There is nothing so special about the election in Kogi State. The election was conducted and remains inconclusive. It is normal, it can happen anywhere, the only issue is that the constitution and electoral law did not capture that particular aspect that you progress where election has been conducted, held and the result is about to be declared and the candidate dies.

The question is who is going to succeed? Is it the running mate, his deputy or the party has to carry out a fresh election?

In a very proactive society where we have the National Assembly that listens to the people’s voice, by now the National Assembly should have set a motion to have cleared and made electoral law because this is the first time that someone who appears to be a candidate in an election died during the process before the result is announced. So, nothing is so special. I think we need a judiciary interpretation to really know who the objective candidate of APC is.

What is your advice to James Faleke?

Faleke as a running mate is entitled to his action, but I laugh at the same time because here is a man (Faleke) who represented a constituency in Lagos State at the Federal House of Representatives, Abuja. Suddenly, he is a running mate in Kogi State, the electoral law and constitution says before you become a candidate to an election, you must reside in that place for atleast six months. Can Faleke swear to us that he has been in Kogi State and stayed there for two months before the election? It is funny that the way I view the Kogi people is that they seem to allow people to impose candidates on them.

Are you now saying that James Faleke is in trouble?

Yes of course! The matter is heading to the court, the constitution said you must spend and reside in your state for six months before election. There are evidences that he did not reside in Kogi for six months because he has been in the Federal House of Representatives, Abuja. Moreso, he did not participate in the primary election conducted by the party. The electoral law stipulates that the party is the one that has the candidate and ensures that they contest in an election.

The party submitted names, so that is why, even when he said he is not a running mate to the person that is declared the winner. Legally, he is still the running mate because the party submitted his name.