The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate at the Kogi
state election, late Abubakar Audu, who died on Sunday, is set to be
buried in his home town , Ogbonicha in Ofu local government area of the
state.
Audu was reported to have died in a rather mysterious
manner after relatives said he was vomiting blood prior to the
announcement of the election results which was held the previous day.
The late Abubakar Audu
Naij.com
team on ground in the state reports that Governor Idris Wada will lead
the state’s delegation to the former governor’s burial.
Wada, the
candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was the losing
contestant in the election which the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) declared inconclusive in the state.
Family
sources revealed that the former governor, whose health condition had
not been stable for some time, was poisoned and had to undergo blood
transfusion before carrying out his civic duty on Saturday.
As at the
time of filing this report, Naij.com team was on its way to Audu’s
hometown in Igala land, where he will be buried today according to
Islamic rites.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the national leader of
the APC, is also one of those expected to appear at the funeral ceremony
of the late politician.
Follow Naij.com for live updates from the event.
8.30am:
Naij.com correspondents on ground say Senator Dino Melaye, Audu’s
running mate, Abiodun Faleke, and some other dignitaries were already at
the venue of the burial.
8.45am: The Imam to carry out the
funeral ceremony arrived a few minutes ago as the residents of the
village have continued to lament the demise of their son.
Some wailers claimed that their son and benefactor has been murdered and they have been left stranded.
9.00am:
Security is tight at the venue as only important dignitaries are
allowed into the house of the deceased, while every other person remains
within the compound.
9.05am: The place where the late politician will be buried is being dug quite close to the mosque inside his compound.
9.32am:
Isa Ithotho, the first runner up in PDP’s primaries arrived at about
8.58am; Linus Nneche representing Alamoboro constituency at the Federal
House of Representatives arrived at about 8.50am; while the Vice
Chancellor of the Kogi State University, Professor Mohammed Sanni
Abdul-Kadiri got to the venue at about 9.08am.
9.35am: Reports
say Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and former Kano state governor, Rabiu Musa
Kwankwaso will take a chopper from Abuja down to the venue.
9.41am: Reports say many people in their thousands were thronging the venue, crying and wailing.
9.42am:
A resident, Mustapha Jibril who spoke with Naij.com, said: “I came in
from Lokoja to confirm the news because I did not believe. He must have
been poisoned from Lokoja.”
Another resident, Musa Ali told our
correspondent that, “he is popular because he absorbed many people into
the civil service when he was in power, the university came in as well
as other investors. He focussed on the communities, the grassroots. Kogi
can never have a person like Audu again.”
9.42am: So many Imams
are having a meeting on how to go about the burial. While Senator Melaye
and Faleke, who broke down in tears, are outside the house in a
separate canopy.
9.43am: A group of very young boys have entered the venue, shouting “they have killed our son”.
10.17am:
Naij.com can confirm that someone fainted about three minutes ago. APC
solidarity also ongoing at the venue with tops, stickers on their cars
to show their support for the former governor.
10.15am: Some
Islamic clerics chanting laila illa allahu at the late politician’s
residence as they prepare to bring out his corpse for the burial.
One of the sympathizers signing the condolence register
10.11am:
Mobile policemen have pushed back the crowd in anticipation of the
emergence of the corpse from inside the house as more people pour into
the compound of the late
10.17am: Naij.com can confirm that
someone fainted about three minutes ago. APC solidarity also ongoing at
the venue with tops, stickers on their cars to show their support for
the former governor.
10.15am: Some Islamic clerics chanting laila
illa allahu at the late politician’s residence as they prepare to bring
out his corpse for the
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