APC, SDP Bicker over Suspected Thugs’ Invasion of  INEC Office in Kogi

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has berated the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as hoodlums allegedly stormed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in a bid to allow the party inspect the election materials as ordered by the Kogi State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.

In a statement signed by the APC spokesperson, Kingsley Fanwo, and made available to journalists in Lokoja yesterday, the party said: “Today’s failed attack by supporters and thugs of the Social Democratic Party to attack the state INEC office in Lokoja has confirmed our recent alarm that the party is determined to destroy every relevant government institution just to maintain their false claim to popularity.

“The attempted plan to lynch INEC staff and burn down the INEC Office was gallantly averted by security agents. Their promptness and professionalism is highly commended as their timely intervention saved what would have been a bloody day as weapon-wielding thugs of the SDP were dangerously threatening to make the state ungovernable.

“The laughable story of the SDP that the thugs were hired by our party is no deviation from their culture of terrible and senseless propaganda and strategy to blame everyone else for their own actions. It is high time the thoroughly defeated candidate of the SDP and his co-travellers to an unknown destination are arrested to forestall further breakdown of law and order.

“We call on APC supporters to remain law-abiding in the face of glaring provocation. War is about using one’s best to the worst to oneself. The governor-elect will be sworn in on January 27, 2024, to advance the frontiers of development in our dear state.

“As earlier stated, we wish to reiterate our readiness for any legal challenge as we know we won an election adjudged as the freest and fairest in the history of our dear.”

Meanwhile the SDP has alleged that the APC thugs had stormed INEC office in Lokoja at the early hours of yesterday.

The Director of Communication, Muri/Sam Campaign Organisation, Farouk Adejoh, has alleged that over 500 persons, most of them thugs, have been deployed to the INEC  office in Lokoja by APC hierarchy to attack lawyers and forensic experts of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to prevent them from examining documents and materials emanating from the Kogi State November 11 governorship elections.

He said: “The thugs wearing SDP T-shirts and posters procured for them by Bello and his gang of outlaws in Kogi State Government have also been detailed to attack and sack the office to ensure the materials needed for our party to prosecute its petition at the tribunal are compromised. Right now, they have laid siege on the entire Marine Street housing the Lokoja INEC office and several other adjourning streets,  threatening the security of INEC and the entire sensitive materials there.”