The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in the Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu, died shortly after the result of the poll was announced, his younger brother claimed on Monday.
Alhaji Tijani Audu insists that his late brother died after the Returning Officer, Prof Emmanuel Kucha, declared the election inconclusive, contrary to earlier claims that he died on Sunday morning, hours before the result was declared.
He told journalists that the late ex-Governor had listened to and watched the collation of the results before he died. Hear him: “I was with him when the whole thing started. I was told in the morning of Saturday that he was sick and I called him to confirm but he said he was okay and would be coming to vote by 1pm, and he came without showing any sign of sickness and we went together to vote.” He, however, said that the following day (Sunday) by 10 am, he went to see him and his children said he was having health challenges and was weak. “I even advised that after the announcement of the result he should go abroad for treatment,” Tijani said.
Spirited efforts to revive the deceased through ejaculatory prayers failed as he gave up the ghost. The late Audu was laid to rest in his country home, Ogbonicha in Ofu LGA at about 1.50 pm after the Chief Imam of Ankpa Central Mosque, Salman Adamu, led a mammoth crowd in the funeral prayers.
Before the funeral rites, rumours that the 68-year-old leader of Igalaland had been resurrected through prayers and would soon address the crowd had sent a cross-section of sympathizers into wild jubilation.
It was gathered that rumours about Audu’s “resurrection” began to make the round the moment a “prayer warrior” was reportedly brought in to pray for the deceased. The said “prayer warrior,” a young lady, had reportedly claimed that she could pray and bring Audu to life if his death was caused by any human being. She, however, told the people that she could not help if it was God’s time for Audu to die. After waiting anxiously for some time without seeing Audu come out to address them, the sympathizers realised that the news was a hoax.
By Olisemeka Obeche