20 Facts About Abubakar Audu

Prince Abubakar Audu was a Nigerian career banker and politician who was the first civilian governor of Kogi State.

Abubakar Audu died due to a bleeding ulcer before the announcement of the election results on 22 November 2015, while seeking to be re-elected as governor on the platform of Nigeria's ruling party, All Progressives Congress.

Abubakar Audu later transferred to the Jos Commercial College where he obtained both the GCE O and A level.

Abubakar Audu made history as the bank's first training officer of African descent and as one of the first black senior management staff of Standard Chartered Bank in London and New York.

Abubakar Audu served in this capacity until 1988 when the cabinet was dissolved.

Abubakar Audu then returned to First Bank of Nigeria PLC as a General Manager.

Abubakar Audu contested on the platform of the National Republican Convention and won the election held in November, 1991.

Abubakar Audu was sworn in as the first executive governor of Kogi state in January 1992.

Abubakar Audu was sworn in on 29 May 1999, during the 1999 Kogi State gubernatorial election as the 2nd Executive Governor of Kogi State.

Abubakar Audu pioneered the construction of the first ultra modern state liaison office in Abuja.

Abubakar Audu's administration built an ultra modern stadium and a five star hotel in Lokoja, the Confluence Beach Hotel.

Abubakar Audu took steps to woo prospective investors to harness the numerous solid mineral potentials in the State.

Abubakar Audu enjoyed a relationship with the former British Prime Minister, John Major.

Abubakar Audu contested in the 2003 Kogi State gubernatorial elections but lost.

Abubakar Audu went to the election tribunal who nullified that election, and ordered fresh elections.

Abubakar Audu again contested against Ibrahim Idris, and again was defeated.

In 2012, Abubakar Audu contested against a newcomer to the field, Captain Idris Ichalla Wada, and was defeated by another election allegedly fraught with fraud.

Abubakar Audu responded to these allegations, stating that while he was governor, the state received less than N400 million as monthly allocation, and that it would have been impossible to embezzle the N12 billion that the agency claims he did when he received less than N19 billion in total, yet embarked on many projects.

Abubakar Audu died of a bleeding ulcer on 22 November 2015, shortly before the Independent National Electoral Commission announced the Kogi State gubernatorial election as inconclusive.

Abubakar Audu had recorded more votes than his opponent in the elections but due to the dilemma created by his sudden death, his party APC, chose the runner up of the primary elections, Yahaya Bello, as the candidate to replace him.