SDP, Kogi Govt Biker over Insecurity Allegations

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

Barely 24 hours  after Kogi State government challenged the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Mr. Murtala Yakubu Ajaka to prove that the state was  fueling insecurity, the SDP Campaign Organisation has alleged to have  uncovered    a dastardly conspiracy between some security chiefs in Kogi State to abduct the SDP flag bearer.

This was contained in a press statement signed by the  Director of Communications,  SDP, Mr. Farouk Adejoh copy of which was made available in Lokoja yesterday, stressing that there is  plot to frame him with trump-up charges with the aim of clamping him into detention and possibly assassinate him.

“Just yesterday, the Kogi State Commissioner , Kingsley has challenged the SDP gubernatorial candidate to prove allegations against the state government with evidence with next seven days.

Details of the plan, which began manifesting  yesterday included hastily arraigning Alhaji Ajaka before a Lokoja Court to legally seal the plot to incarcerate him indefinitely,” it said.

The SDP also alleged that in furtherance of the plot the State Commissioner of Police Hakeem Adeshina Yusuf who it said  has  refused to investigate  its petition of attempted assassination on June 3, 2023, is now stalking its  candidate  to accuse him of being the aggressor in the attack.

“Some gun men in Mufti appeared at an address on Khartoum Street in Wuse, Abuja at about 12:30pm Tuesday claiming they have been detailed by Mr. Yusuf to arrest Alhaji Ajaka for attempted assassination, gun possession and terrorism as a result of the same attack carried out by Mr Bello and his gun men.

Already Mr Bello has put some  of his friendly media editors and social media influencers on cue to disparage the SDP candidate through stories and commentaries that will portray the candidate as a violent man.

“These elaborate plot is an obvious manifestion to stop the escalating popularity of the SDP Candidate in the November 11, governorship election.

“Alhaji Ajaka has no record of violence whatsoever at any time in his political career, but in the last four months the candidate, members of his campaign team have been at the receiving end of State violence from Federal security agents who have been obviously compromised to torment political rivals of Mr Bello.

“We have cried out to all the relevant agencies of state to rein in Mr Bello and get him to play by the rules of engagement of electioneering to no avail,”  the party stated.

However, in swift reaction to the statement, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo said the state government wouldn’t have bothered to respond to the watery, evasive and sympathy seeking sinking candidate of the SDP, who is dipping himself in the messy mud and  having an ignominious macabre dance on the sensibilities of Kogites and Nigerians as a whole.

He said: “It is important to tell Nigerians and the world that Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, the said governorship candidate of the SDP, is on a blisteringly shameful agenda of whipping sentiments, spreading falsehood with reckless abandon so as to put on himself, a garment of importance and create unnecessary air around himself as a contender that he is not.

“Kogites and Nigerians know Muritala Yakubu Ajaka and they know that his intention is to create ethnic division and blow his own ego. We know the contenders and the pretenders and he is not a political threat as far as Kogi State is concerned.

“The ignorance of Muritala Yakubu Ajaka and his team is such a flourishing folly, thinking that the Governor is an interested party and would therefore allow his state to become a state of anomie and lawlessness.

“The Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello, is the governor of all the people of Kogi State and he owes them a duty of care and security. He swore to protect them and protect them he shall.

“The State Government has no clandestine plan to frame up anyone, not to talk about political Lilliputians with questionable character.

“As a Government, we will not condone reckless statements as we urge the security agencies to arrest the current trend by acting decisively against inflammatory statements. A lack of action has emboldened some political opportunists to think they can spread lies, incite the people, play politics of ethnic profiling and still get away with them.

“Muritala Yakubu Ajaka knows what he has done and should carry his cross boldly instead of hiding behind one finger. We have no hand in the problems that his unbridled inordinate ambition has brought upon him.”