From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

As Campaigns for the November Governorship polls begins in Kogi state, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has raised the alarm over planned attack on supporters of the party in Kogi Local Government Area of the state.

Muritala Yakubu Ajaka  Campaign Organization in a statement made available to Journalists at the weekend,  accused Governor Yahaya Bello of plans to attack supporters of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi local government area of the state.

Director of Communications of the Campaign Team, Faruk Adejoh-Audu said “the diabolic plot is in response to the mass defection of APC members in Kogi (Koto) LGA in the last one week during which majority of the APC ward chairmen, a former State Assembly Member and even his own Special Advisers announced their rejection of the party and declared support for SDP governorship candidate, Alhaji Murtala Ajaka.

Adejoh-Audu said faced with mass rejection leading to a gale of defections from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State, Governor Yahaya Bello has recruited the state Commissioner of Police, Onuoha Bethrand to unleash a campaign of intimidation on supporters of Ajaka.

“We are privy to a conspiracy by the Kogi Police Commissioner, Mr Berthrand Onuoha and Mr Bello to frame-up SDP members in Kogi Local Government Area with all manners of trumped-up offences to enable him embark on a mass crack down of our supporters this weekend.

“One Bashir Gegu, a notorious thug hired by Mr Bello as aide, according to our our information, has supplied a roll call of major supporters of Alhaji Ajaka to Mr Unuoha the Commissioner of Police who is set to deploy a squad of policemen supported by Bello’s thugs led by the said Gegu to begin invading Kogi LGA from this night.

“We are shocked that the new commissioner of police posted to Kogi after his predecessor connived with Bello to engage in extra judicial killings last June has also succumbed to the lure of the Governor to attack innocent citizens.

“The immediate past commissioner of police Mr
Adeshina Yusuf had on June 22, this year invaded Ejule in Kogi East while decent people slept, with policemen, Naval personel and a gang of thugs to kill a defenceless woman Mrs Atima , and Alhaji Kabir Bala alias Okwo, a known political ally and former thug of Mr Bello who had renounced violence and declared support for Alhaji Ajaka.

“The police who hitherto provided security for Okwo while he did the bidding of Bello turned around to accuse of him of terrorism after his extra- judicial execution.

“It is disgraceful that Adeshina’s replacement Mr Onuoha who has obstinately refused to arrest Bello’s thugs who burnt down the state office of the SDP and other violent crimes, even after we sent a petition and clearly identified the criminals supported by video evidence, is now eager to crack down on innocent citizens because of their political choice.

“Even attacks against our supporters in broad daylight across the state particularly in Kogi East and videos released by Bello’s aides and even an LGA Chairman threatening violence against voters had been ignored by this police commissioner.

“Rather he is making himself available for a desperate Yahaya Bello to use in criminalizing political participation by clamping our supporters into detention or possibly execute them to intimidate others to enable the governor have a field day in imposing his puppet candidate on November 11, 2023 when the governorship elections hold,” he said.

Adejoh-Audu called on the Inspector of Police, the Police Service Commission and the minister for police affairs to step in and save the state.

“We invite the world to note that even our candidate was been hunted by this same security chiefs at the pleasure of Mr Bello until we secured a court order before he exercise his liberty to campaign as a governorship candidate!

“We like to point out that the actions of these security accomplices who are engaged in intimidating and attacking our supporters at the behest of Mr Bello is a menacing threat to the survival of our democracy

“No outlaw hiding under gubernatorial immunity must be allowed to procure security officers of the state to attack, kill or incarcerate his opponents to gain advantage in an electoral contest. That is exactly what Mr Bello has perfected in Kogi State and we appeal that the Federal Government of Nigeria protect our rights to participate in the political process as free citizens of Nigeria.

“Our country cannot afford the luxury of looking the other way while Kogi keeps following with blood of innocent persons and gross human rights abuse every election year for Bello to snatch victory in spite of the rejection of the people,” Adejoh-Audu added.

He advised SDP supporters to be calm and peaceful while the campaign organization explore the civilised due process of the law to save them from the rampage of Gov. Bello and his security accomplices.

Adejoh-Audu said the campaign organization has already approached its lawyers, Messrs Femi Falana SAN, to immediately commence legal actions against the commissioner of police to protect the right of SDP candidate and his supporters to freely participate in the democratic process without fear of harm.