This is because the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has dismissed his application challenging the decision of the All Progressive Congress to substitute Governor BELLO for late flag-bearer of the party, ABUBAKAR AUDU, who died before the election was concluded.
You will recall that JAMES FALEKE was the running mate to late ABUBAKAR AUDU in the 2015 Kogi governorship election, but the Appellate Court threw out his application for lack of merit.
FALEKE had told the court that the votes polled by the party in the election were his, since he was a joint candidate with late AUDU.
But Justice JUMMAI SANKEY cited Section 221 of the Nigerian Constitution to justify the decision of the Court of Appeal that only a political party could canvass for votes in election.
Justice SANKEY said the constitution does not recognise independent candidature for elections, based on which FALEKE could not lay claims to the votes polled before the death of AUDU and before the election was concluded.
Our correspondent JAMES IGAH reports that the Appeal Court also held that FALEKE was only joined to AUDU after the primaries had been concluded.
It was also decided by the Appellate Court that BELLO, who was chosen by APC as a replacement for late AUDU, participated in the primary election of the party.
The judge declared that the nomination of BELLO to replace the late AUDU did not contravene the Nigerian Constitution or the Electoral Act.
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