The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has accused the Kogi State Government of masterminding the attack on their campaign office in Lokoja, where billboards and windows were destroyed.
The State Secretary of SDP, Dr Arome Okeme, made the accusation in a press statement on Monday.
Okeme alleged that on the 9th of July, at about 9 am, urchins, thugs and arsonists, on the payroll of the state government launched an unprovoked assault on the secretariat of the Social Democratic Party/Muri/Abene campaign office in Kogi State, destroying and burning party flags, campaign banners and sacrilegiously, the Nigerian national flags.
Going down memory lane of some of the sad event that has happened to supporters of the SDP in Kogi State, the SDP Secretary explained, “It is no longer news that the Social Democratic Party over the years has suffered tremendous losses in the hands of the ruling party led by Governor Yahaya Bello as it has always posed the biggest threat to his continuity as governor or de facto. Maybe a journey down the recent past will juggle our memories a bit.
During the 2018 senatorial elections, the APC led by Yahaya Bello employed the use of rogue security personnel and thugs to physically assault the then candidate of the party for the Kogi central senatorial elections, Barr. Natasha Akpoti, the popular choice of the people then.
It was under the watch of this government that two supporters of the candidate were shot and killed; her family house set ablaze in Okehi, and many supporters maimed.
“In 2019, the same government, under the direction of the same governor, meted the party with another gruesome blow when it attacked and set its secretariat, located at paparanda square just opposite the local government secretariat, ablaze, destroying property worth millions of naira in the process.
It was under his watch that thugs loyal to him accosted our then gubernatorial candidate, Barr Natasha Akpoti, and pushed her to the ground during a meeting called by the then commissioner of police in public glare, and nothing was done about that incident up till this day. It demoralized our supporters and traumatized our candidate.
“The governor ensured none of our candidate’s posters, banners or paraphernalia flew in Kogi state as all were torn and set on fire. Supporters of the party were physically assaulted and chased from polling units while being disenfranchised.
“During the 2019 general election, the governor supervised one of the worst elections ever to be held in Kogi State, where many lives were lost. Choppers shot at peaceful voters from the sky.
