THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State on Monday described the mega rally organised by the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, as a colossal waste of the state frugal resources.
The PDP said the rally that allegedly cost the state N2bn at a time when salaries and pensions were not paid for 22 months, was wicked, callous, inhuman and insensitive to the plight of Kogi people.
The PDP in a statement signed by Achadu Dickson, Director Research and Documentation, said the rally had shown clearly that the governor “lacks the fear of God and does not understand the basic dynamics of governing a state.
“Bello’s spending of a whooping N2billion taxpayers fund to organise a rally that is of no significance to the lives and well-being of Kogi People is disheartening and a glaring show of man’s inhumanity against the man”.
The PDP alleged that N750, 000 was spent per unit for mobilisation, while local government administrators were also directed to mobilise 500 persons at N5000 per person when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not announced the commencement of political activities.
The party condemned the alleged purchase of vehicles by the governor to party executives that the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had described as wrongfully constituted.
The PDP, while sympathising with people of the state over the hardship they are facing under the present administration, assured that the situation would not last long.
The party said it is worrisome that a governor who is planning to sell off state assets to fund 2018 budget could hire a private jet for the national chairman of his party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, to attend the Lokoja rally.
The PDP also accused the governor of diverting two months local government council allocation to fund the rally, saying Bello would account for revenue he had collected on behalf of people of the state.
The PDP called on INEC to investigate the early campaign by Bello and the APC, urging on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe into the alleged spending of N2billion by to organise a wasteful rally, when the governor could not pay workers salaries and infrastructure development lacking in the past two years.
However, Bello in his reaction to the allegation through his director general, media and publicity, Kingsley Fanwo, said the PDP was only afraid that it had lost the state forever.
The governor said the APC did not need money to bring its supporters together, adding that the party won the 2015 general elections in a landslide when the PDP was in power.
He said, “The Kogi Youth Arise Group, championed by the current Governor of the State mobilised the youth to vote massively for President Muhammadu Buhari without state funds.
“What PDP is afraid of telling the world is that they have lost the State forever. Governor Yahaya Bello has cleared all doubts.
We had over 100,000 people who couldn’t even access the Stadium. PDP should just nurse their losses and stop blaming others for their woes.
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“APC doesn’t need money to bring its members together. Truly believe in our ideological identity and also have confidence in the Governor who is the leader of the party in the state.
“We didn’t campaign. We brought our people together to play an important role in inviting President Muhammadu Buhari to continue beyond 2019. When he accepts our clarion call, we shall follow INEC’s guidelines on campaign”.
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