The Kogi State People’s Democratic Party, PDP has described as empty an alleged threat to arrest Engr. Musa Wada, its candidate in the forthcoming Governorship election and other members, said to have been issued by Edward Onoja running mate to Governor Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress, APC. The party warned Onoja and the APC to comply with the tenets of civilized campaigns and refrain from adopting beneath the belt tactics. This is contained in a statement by Faruk Adejoh-Audu spokesman to the PDP candidate.
Adejoh-Audu accused members of the ruling party of making several attempts to break into the convoy of Wada and provoking his entourage, while on a thank you visit to the state over the weekend. He called on security operatives to call the APC supporters to order. Hear him:
“The Musa Wada Campaign Organization receives with utmost concern the threatening utterances of one Edward Onoja, said to be the running mate to Alhaji Yahaya Bello the candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in the imminent Kogi State Governorship Election.
In the widely circulated statement the said Edward Onoja threatened that “two Ankpa guys and three Anyigba sons that (sic) vandalized Dr Ogbo’s vehicles Will be practically used as scape-goats by the authorities.
” And a million Musa Wada can’t do jack. If he messes up they will arrest and dock him. This is not a threat but an assurance.”
Adejoh claimed “no PDP supporter attacked the said Dr Usman Ogbo but rather the said Ogbo drove furiously into a peaceful procession of party supporters with the aim of causing grievous injury or death law abiding people.
“Several persons scampered for safety as onlookers continued to scream in horror and alarm..Many sustained injuries as a result of this wickedness of an otherwise university lecturer.
“Eyewitness said the convoy of three cars in an attempt to escape the deliberate carnage did a wild circular turn with two of them ramming into each other. But even then the vehicles driving dangerously and menacingly managed to escape from the scene but not before several persons had identified Dr Ogbo as the culprit.
He went further that “two other APC chieftains and lords of violence had unsuccessfully confronted the procession and motorcade of the PDP candidate with an intention of provoking the procession but were ignored based on the advise of elders on the “Thank you” visit of Engr Musa Wada. The first was Hon Ahmed Ahmed who at about 1:48 pm drove his convoy with several thugs chanting 4+4 and shooting sporadically to confront the convoy of Candidate Musa Wada and attempting to force it off the road.
“This provocative bravado enraged the younger members of the party who were quickly restrained and pacified by the candidate and other elders from reacting.
‘Similarly at about 5pm the notoriously violent Kogi East Vice Chairman Alhaji Ahmedi Attah equally confronted the motorcade with a convoy of about four cars just before Ajiyolo village on the Anyigba – Dekina Road. The occupants of the two unmarked white Toyota Hilux that heralded the cars shot sporadically as they forced our candidate’s motorcade out of the way.
“We tolerated all these carefully orchestrated provocations because we are familiar with Bello’s government and his supporters lust for violence and refused to be baited to a turf where they are comfortable.
“We are shocked that despite all the efforts made to avoid trouble the incumbent Chief of Staff to the governor and the APC running mate is bragging about his power to arrest and dock our candidate and threatening to make “scapegoats” out of some persons.
“We are now convinced that Mr Onoja who is loud, uncouth and inebriated by power sponsored the offensive action of these people to get an excuse to engage in violence against the PDP and abuse his office to indiscriminately arrest our supporters.
This of course is the manifestation of desperation and frustration on the part of the APC and Bello’s Government who have gotten a loud eviction notice from the people of Kogi State.
“But we like to say this to Edward Onoja and his master : Nigeria is a country governed by the rule of law, no matter how bandits in power may have subverted the process.
No induced security agent or their leadership will dare arrest a law abiding Engr Musa Wada because an Edward Onoja with an escalated delusion of self importance says so.
We advise Edward Onoja to comply with the tenets of civilized campaign even if it’s obvious they have been rejected by the people.
The resort to violence and other desperate measures cannot remedy the crushing defeat that awaits them on November 16.
“We hereby call on the security agencies who have so far indulged these people as they abuse the power of their office to oppress law abiding citizens to call them to order. We shall not allow ourselves to be cowed or intimidated by desperate persons who are on their way out of power by abusing and misappropriating the coercive power of state constitutionally entrusted to the security agencies.” He concluded.