The Kogi state All Progressives Congress Governorship Campaign Council has accused the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, and his supporters of masterminding the attack on the residence of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state in the early hours of Friday, December 1.
Armed men on Friday morning attacked the official residence of the Kogi Resident Electoral Commission, Hale Gabriel Longpet, in Lokoja.
The Director of Media and Publicity/Spokesperson for the Campaign Council, Kingsley Fanwo, who spoke at a press briefing on Friday, said: “The same arsonists also had an attempt to burn down the Kogi State Government House foiled by our eagle-eye security agents. The same attempt was foiled at the state APC Secretariat in Lokoja.”
According to the APC, the SDP in the state and their collaborators are desperate to destroy some documents in INEC to cover the heist they committed in Kogi East where they allegedly killed APC supporters “and drove them out of collation centres to forge the results that were eventually trumped by the massive votes of Kogites for the governor-elect.”
The Campaign Council alleged that the SDP candidate and his collaborators were attempting to corrupt certain documents in INEC before handing them to their legal team.
He said: “We have no problem allowing legal teams to access documents and materials. It is the norm. But we won’t allow any desperate bloodthirsty politician to tamper with the true verdict of the Kogi people.
“The bold-face criminality being perpetrated by the defeated SDP candidate and his violent gang of criminals was as a result of the lack of consequences over the gruesome killing of an APC supporter, Khadijat, at Kotonkarfe by agents of the SDP,” adding that they had imported thugs from neighbouring states into Kogi.
“They shamelessly came out to say Khadijat was bearing an arm. Till date, Muritala Yakubu Ajaka and his gun-wielding killers have been moving freely on the streets. If they had been arrested for killing an innocent woman, they wouldn’t have had the guts to attempt to attack the Kogi Resident Electoral Commissioner.
“We also told the world of plans by the SDP to burn down the INEC Office in Lokoja. We thank the Police and other security agencies for protecting the INEC Office. Frustrated by the watertight security around INEC, the gun-throttling SDP criminals went to the residence of the Kogi State INEC Commissioner in an attempt to kill him. They were engaged in a fierce gun battle and they resorted to burning vehicles and other valuables around the area.
“The reason they are desperate to destroy some documents in INEC is to cover the heist they committed in Kogi East where they killed APC supporters and drove them out of collation centres to forge the results that were eventually trumped by the massive votes of Kogites for the Governor-Elect. They are attempting to corrupt certain documents in INEC before handing them to their legal team. We have no problem allowing legal teams to access documents and materials. It is the norm. But we won’t allow any desperate bloodthirsty politician to tamper with the true verdict of the Kogi people.
“After their violent protests a few days ago, our people have also moved to Lokoja to ensure their mandate is protected. Resorting to assassination and arson will never help the Social Democratic Party and their confused candidate.
He further stated: “Now is the time to arrest Muritala Yakubu Ajaka before he throws Kogi into a state of anomie. Democracy is the expression of the wishes of the people. Those wishes have been expressed and no amount of bullets can silence the voice of the ballot. We are calling on the Police, DSS and other security agencies to immediately arrest the slide to anarchy by arresting Muritala Yakubu Ajaka and his co-swimmers in the pool of violence. We have cautioned our supporters to remain calm and the call will be more effective if the anarchists are immediately apprehended and prosecuted.
“The violence witnessed in Kogi East because of the desperation of Muritala Yakubu Ajaka was not witnessed in the West and Central. He turned himself into an outlaw, attacking the opposition, killing opposition members, and boasting to go free because of his mouthed connection with certain powerful people. Kogi must not be allowed to become a lawless place and the only solution now is to use Muritala Yakubu Ajaka as a scapegoat.
“He was not the only one who contested the election. But he is the only one who feels he must kill everything and everyone standing on his path to his irredeemable dream of grabbing power by force. Totalitarianism has no place in a democratic setting.
“Gentlemen of the press, we will continue to preach peace and harmony. Kogi is our project and we will keep the flag flying.”