Murtala Yakubu Ajaka

Richard Elesho

With less than two months to the 11 November Kogi governorship election, the Social Democratic Party, SDP, has alleged another plot being hatched by the state government to set up its members for arrest.

Faruk Adejoh-Audu, Director of Communication of Muritala Ajaka Campaign Organisation, in a statement on Wednesday, said the state government plans to attack members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC during a rally in Ajaka, hometown of the SDP Candidate and blame it on the opposition. He said the plot will be carried out on Thursday, 14 September.

“Information available to us indicates that Mr Bello’s multitudes of thugs have been detailed to open fire on buses conveying supporters, rented crowds and Local Government civil servants who have been forcefully compelled to attend the rally on their way to the event.

“The thugs who are to be dressed in SDP vests are also detailed to open fire at the rally venue to maim and kill participants in order to create maximum mayhem and blame it on our candidate and his supporters.

“It is really scary that the Governor of our dear state has descended to this harrowing level of desperation to foist his cousin, Mr Ododo, on a people he had been constitutionally sworn to govern and protect.

“What manner of Governor will be plotting the bloodletting of his own people in order to unleash more violence and gain electoral advantage? Bello has gained global notoriety for deploying violence as his only election strategy, but the descent to attack his own supporters is a new low in his laurels of infamy.

“The motive of this cruel plot is to enable Mr Bello procure security forces to clamp down on our supporters in order execute a mass arrest that will drive fear into Kogites who have resolved to support Ajaka and dislodge Bello and his gang of outlaws from power.

“Furthermore, Mr Bello leveraging on the planned dubious attack tomorrow will unleash his thugs on the the SDP campaign train particularly whenever it gets to the West and Central Senatorial District and claim it was a “retaliatory attack because APC supporters were attacked” at the home tiwn of the SDP Candidate.

“This was the same tactics used on November 17, 2019, when the PDP Woman leader was burnt alive. Bello and his minions claimed it was a retaliatory attack because some APC supporters were attacked.

“So far, this governor who recently bragged about his prowess in violence has failed to bait the SDP and our candidate into his turf of comfort which mayhem. Our State Secretariat has been attacked four times with the entire structure burnt-out to ashes the last time been on the 9th of July just two months ago.

“Our supporters have been repeatedly attacked after the Governor himself led gunmen to rain bullets on the vehicle of our candidate on June 3 this year. On August 23rd at Emewe in Dekina a precint meeting of SDP supporters was attacked during which several of our supporters were wounded, a Golf car belonging to Mustapha Igbo Daikwo was burnt down by Bello’s thugs while the home of the our Ward Chairman Mr Aye Ochijenu was equally set ablaze.

“Mr Bello has remained unrepentant and incorrigible in his campaign of barbarity because he has neither credit nor favour to call in on with the electorate after spending the last eight years setting a record in misrule and corruption with no infrastructure to show despite the humongous allocations and internal revenue raked in by the state.

“Worst still workers are owed salaries amounting to over three and a half years while he gained national notoriety by bringing our dear state into infamy when revelations of primitive heists of our state resources began emanating from the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“Alhaji Ajaka abhors violence in its entirety and we are calling on the Commissioner of Police, the Kogi State Director of the Department of State Security (DSS), the Inspector General of Police and the DG DSS to provide maximum security and protection for participants of the APC rally scheduled for Ajaka town tomorrow to preempt the evil plot of a desperate outlaw governor.”