FROM MAGNUS EZE, ABUJA
The political conundrum in the north central state of Kogi took another dimension yesterday as the Department of State Security (DSS) detained the All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy governorship candidate in the November 21, 2015 governorship election in Kogi State, Hon. James Faleke and the eldest son of the late APC candidate, Alhaji Mohammed Audu.
Faleke who is claimant to the APC victory and Audu were invited to the headquarters of the DSS in Abuja for an undisclosed reason.
The Director, Media and Publicity, Audu/Faleke Campaign Organisation, Hon. Duro Meseko said that they arrived at the headquarters of the DSS at exactly 10.00am and were kept in an office with assurances that an officer would attend to them only to keep them indefinitely
However, Sunday Sun gathered that they were released at about 5pm.
Hon. Meseko who confirmed the invitation and detention said he was surprised when
Faleke and Audu were kept in an isolated office till yesterday evening.
“I am surprised my principal and the eldest son of our political leader, Mohammed are still being kept as I speak with you which is 4pm. What could be responsible for this ill treatment by the DSS? Or could they be acting the intimidation script?
Trying to arm-twist them into abandoning the sacred mandate freely given to the Audu/Faleke team by the generality of Kogi people? Let me make it abundantly clear that our mandate is sacred and no amount of technical detention, intimidation and harassment would shake our resolve to get justice through the judiciary?”
Meseko could not say whether the Presidency had a hand on the Faleke/Audu ordeal but believed the powers that be must have hatched it to intimidate them into abandoning the mandate freely given by the Kogi people.
Faleke had approached the state governorship election petition tribunal to regain the Audu/ Faleke mandate, which he believed they had won at first balllot on November, 21, last year.