Directorate of State Service has detained Kogi State deputy governor-elect, Mr. James Faleke and Alhaji Mohammed Audu, the son of the late Abubakar Audu, according to a reports.
The Audu/Faleke Campaign Organisation, which confirmed the development, critisised the DSS for inviting and detaining both men, The Punch newspaper reports.
The newspaper quoted the Organisation’s Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Duro Meseko, as telling newsmen in Lokoja on Saturday that Faleke was being detained alongside Alhaji Mohammed Audu, the first son of the late Prince Abubakar Audu.
Accordint to the report, the duo reported at the headquarters of the DSS on invitation at about 10am only to be detained for undisclosed reason.
“They were kept in an office with assurances that an officer would attend to them soon only to keep them indefinitely,” Meseko said.
“I am surprised that my principal, Faleke and the eldest son of our political leader, Mohammed, are still being kept as I speak with you, which is about 4pm. One is hoping that they are not trying to arm twist them into abandoning the sacred mandate freely given to Audu/Faleke ticket by the generality of Kogi people, “he said.
Meseko reiterated the resolve of the members of the All Progressives Congress in the state not to abandon the mandate, saying “no amount of technical detention, intimidation and harassment will shake our resolve to get justice through the judiciary.”
He, however, distanced the organisation from the rumour making the rounds that the presidency was behind the DSS action.
Faleke was the running mate to the late APC governorship candidate in the November 21, 2015 governorship election that was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Faleke is currently at the state governorship election petition tribunal seeking to be declared the duly elected governor of the state instead of Alhaji Yahaya Bello that the leadership of the APC picked as a replacement for Audu.
