From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The Audu Faleke Political structure has cried out over alleged blackmail of the Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu by those accusing him of undue interference in the ongoing Kogi State Governorship Election Tribunal.
Addressing a press conference in Lokoja on Monday, the group’s spokesperson, Emmanuel Ekele accused Kogi East Critical Stakeholders, (KECS) led by one Alhaji Sule Iyaji of blackmailing the Minister of Steel, adding that, the allegations against their principal by KECS were concocted and fabricated to suit the group personal purpose as those issues only exist in their vague imagination.
The group warned that politicians should leave the Minister and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu out of Kogi politics and allow the Election Tribunal perform its constitutional assignment.
Explaining further, 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 overa and he has since returned to his office.
“The Honourable Minister Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu has strong faith in our judiciary and wish to advice Kogi East Critical Stakeholders (KECS) to desist from speculations and casting aspersion on the judiciary which is very wrong and misleading.
“We advice Kogi East Critical Stakeholders (KECS) 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.
He called on the Department of State Services, (DSS) to invite the group to show justification for allegedly blackmailing the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“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.
On the alleged demand that the Minister Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu must take along the Social Democratic Party, (SDP) Candidate in the November 11 Governorship election in Kogi Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka if the people of Kogi East must visit the President, Ekele said,
“We consider this point laughable because in the first place this is the visit you have condemned and called to be cancelled, why are you interested in it and demanding the inclusion of your sponsor. You can see that you have betrayed yourselves that all the allegations is simply because you assume that your sponsor is not on the delegation for the visit.
“Nobody stops anyone from visiting the President so why demand that Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka must take along with Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu to visit the President? Kogi East Critical Stakeholders (KECS) should have simply requested the assistance of the Honourable Minister quietly instead of making it a public demand and this is one of the reasons why we see the Kogi East Critical Stakeholders (KECS) as being used by a group of Kogi Gov Group raises alarm over alleged threat to life of the Minister of Steel.
