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.
Source naij.com
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