Coalition of Oodua Self Determination Groups (COSEG) rose form its monthly meeting on Monday, describing the decision of the national leadership of APC to pick Yahaya Bello as Abubakar Audu’s replacement ahead of December 5, supplementary election as a coup against the Yoruba speaking people of Kogi state.
A statement issued at the end of the meeting and signed by its chairman Ifedayo Ogunlana and secretary, Rasak Olokooba reads:
“We wish to inform the whole world that COSEG was formed to protect the interest of Yorubas wherever they are. We will not therefore shy away from this responsibility irrespective who is concerned or political colouration.
“James Abiodun Faleke, Is an Okun man and a Yoruba man from Kogi who being a Nigerian has the right to be declared the governor when circumstances throw it up.
“He contested under a joint ticket of Audu\Faleke Kogi governorship election where it is in fact, legally believed that both should have same aspirations, plans etc while also contributing to the funding of their election.
“It is therefore logical to bestow the deputy governor the full entitlement and right to govern the state with the vision of Audu&Faleke ticket when God naturally took away the life of the great man of Kogi who brought up Faleke to be his deputy.
“It therefore surprises us that a satanic, illogical and devilish coup can be executed against the Okun Yoruba people by Okun Yoruba and Faleke adversaries who know that Kogi west where Yoruba Okun people reside has never been elected governor and they don’t want them to aspire talk less of being elected governor and e shall resist it with everything or right we have.
“The swiftness that the conspiracy played out showed something is amiss. It’s logical that if such occurrence that has never been envisaged or placed in our constitution erupts, the best place for it to be decided is the Supreme Court.
“INEC should therefore have sought the Supreme Court intervention rather than causing this avoidable dispute that has led to violence and battles that have sent people to hospitals.
“We therefore state that we reject Bello as substitution to Prince Abubakar Audu being the extension of the devilish coup to stop Faleke being a Yoruba okun to be declared governor elect.
“INEC must therefore declare Abiodun Faleke as the Governor elect having known and confirmed that the joint ticket of Audu and Faleke won the Kogi election with more than 41,000 votes far higher than the 25,000 P.V card owners who have not yet voted. This is the most lawful position to have been taken by INEC and why they didn’t take this position points to the coup we have talked about.
“We shall resist this clear cheating, below the belt game and Coup against the Yoruba people of Okun in Kogi State.”
