Kogi election: APC candidate, Abubakar Audu, dies, INEC declares poll inconclusive

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the Kogi governorship election, Abubakar Audu, died a few hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared the Saturday poll inconclusive.

Though the cause of Audu’s death was not confirmed on Sunday, he was said to have died as a result of a heart attack.

A close political associate of Audu, Alhaji Abdullahi Bello, confirmed his death to one of our correspondents in Lokoja.

Bello, who was a Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly, and currently a member of the House of Representatives, confirmed in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents that Audu died in his home town, Ogbonicha, in Ofu Local Government Area of the state on Sunday.

According to him, an unnamed driver and one of the wives of Audu confirmed the APC candidate’s death.

Bello said, “It is true, oga is dead. He died this afternoon in his house at his hometown. I have spoken with his driver and one of his wives, who confirmed the death to me. It is a big shock. Oga is dead o o.”

A family member, who did not want to be named, however, said Audu had been sick even before the campaign.

“His death is not sudden, though some may think so; but he just managed to pull through the campaign. He had been sick for some time,” the family member added.

Unconfirmed reports said Audu might have died in the early morning of Sunday.

One of his supporters, who did not want his name mentioned, said Audu had complained of a slight fever on Friday while travelling to his village.

“While travelling home on Friday for the Saturday election, Prince Audu complained of serious body pains and fever. He instructed his driver to park on the road and bought a bottle of water. The sickness deteriorated and he was ‘packaged’ to vote because he could hardly stand up,” the supporter said.

Source - PUNCH