Faleke is Bello’s running mate in Kogi guber poll – Witness

The Chief Strategic officer to Gov. Yahaya Bello during the December 5 Kogi governorship election, Mr. Edward Onoja, has said that Mr. James Faleke was a running mate to the governor.

Onoja who is also the Chief of Staff to the governor told the State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, while being led in evidence by the counsel to the All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr. Ayotunde Ogunleye.

Onoja told the tribunal that he was not aware that Faleke wrote to the leadership of the APC of withdrawing his candidature as a running mate to Bello before the supplementary election.

He also told the tribunal that he was not aware whether APC national leader wrote to the National Assembly of withdrawing Faleke as the running mate to Bello.

“James Faleke did not resign his position before the election; he has always been the running mate throughout the election.

“INEC published the list of the candidate that contested the supplementary election of which Faleke was included as the running mate.

“`Faleke only ended up as deputy governorship candidate and never graduated to be the governor,” Onoja said.

The witness also told the tribunal that he could not say whether Bello voted during the election or not.

According to the witness, what was contained on the ballot paper during the election was the name of the party and not the name of the candidates.

Several documents were showed to the witness of whom he admitted of seeing some of them before, during and after the election.

Counsel to ex-governor Idris Wada, Mr. Chris Uche, who recently closed his case after the ex-governor had given his testimony, objected to some of the documents.

Uche said that his reason would be given during the final address.