8th April, 2024
By Richard Elesho
Months after the 11 November Kogi State governorship election, the Audu Faleke Political family has raised alarm over alleged threat to the life of the Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, over ongoing legal fireworks on the poll.
Addressing a press conference in Lokoja on Monday, the Head of Secretariat, Tinubu Support Group, TSG, Emmanuel Ekele accused Kogi East Critical Stakeholders, KECS, led by one Sule Iyaji of blackmailing the Minister for selfish ends.
He cautioned the group against further attacks on the Minister.
Ekele said: “The Honourable Minister Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu has no business, absolutely no business interfering in the ongoing Kogi State Gubernatorial Election tribunal which is part of the electoral process.
“it is also not within his purview. Hence, it’s needless to threaten him of any consequences over what you imagine, which does not even exist in the first instance. May we also warn Kogi East Critical Stakeholders, KECS, to be mindful of criminal intimidation.
“The Honourable Minister is concerned at this time with his primary task of reviving the Steel Sector for the good of the nation’s economy and has really no time for the imagined accusations. He was only appointed as Director General of the Governorship Election Campaign by his party the APC. The Election is over and he has since returned to his office.
“The Honourable Minister Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu has strong faith in our judiciary and wish to advise Kogi East Critical Stakeholders to desist from speculations and casting aspersion on the judiciary which is very wrong and misleading.
“We advise Kogi East Critical Stakeholders to leave the Honourable Minister of Steel Development Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria H.E Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR out of Kogi State Gubernatorial Election Tribunal. In their desperation, they lack respect for constituted authority as your blackmail and frivolous allegation knows no bound..
“This group of ethnic war lords must be made to understand that freedom of speech is not a call for sweeping and unsubstantiated allegations. This is a case that can go as far as Supreme Court why all the panicking and blackmail from this point. The action of Kogi East Critical Stakeholders (KECS) may not be healthy for our judicial system” he added.
“Kogi East Critical Stakeholders should clearly know that Kogi East is not a one party region and they shouldn’t be undemocratic by boxing everyone into one corner even against their wishes.
” We advise Kogi East Critical Stakeholders to stop issuing threats to people as this act portrays their disposition to violence. They should allow people to be themselves and should also know that threatening people without justification amount to criminal intimidation, which is an offence under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“At this juncture, may we put it on record that if anything happens to the Honourable minister and / or any of his supporters, Kogi East Critical Stakeholders (KECS) should be held liable.
“We want to remind Kogi East Critical Stakeholders (KECS) that the Honourable Minister, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu is not a lawyer neither a judge nor a party at the election petition tribunal, they should focus on their legal team and let him be. The Honourable Minister is a law-abiding citizen, and the issues at the election petition tribunal are not before him”.