Kogi State has been thrown into mourning following the shocking death of Abubakar Audu, the All Progressive Congress, APC, candidate in the yet-to-be concluded governorship election.

While some reports indicate that Audu died upon hearing of the declaration of the election, which he was poised to win, inconclusive, there are also indications that the APC candidate might have died much earlier before that announcement was made.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had pronounced the election inconclusive due to cancelation of votes in 91 polling units across the state.

With the cancelled votes put at just over 49, 000, he was on course to be the next governor, having polled 231, 863 against Idris Wada’s 199, 514.

Born in 1947, Audu is a two-time governor of Kogi State, having first been elected in 1991, shortly after the state was created from the old Benue and Kwara States.

Following the return of the country to democracy in 1999, he was elected governor under the All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP.

In 2003 he lost to Ibrahim Idris of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in an election widely adjudged to be fraught with irregularities.

Since then, he unsuccessful sought another term as governor but on each occasion lost to the PDP.

Since 2003, Audu has faced prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for embezzlement of the state’s funds, something he has consistently denied.

His emergence as the APC’s flag bearer in the party’s primary election drew wide criticism from observers, who felt the party should not have fielded him because of the corruption allegations.