THE Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi state on Thursday accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state of planning to rig the forthcoming general election.
The party also asked the Inspector General of Police to transfer all the cases it had instituted at the state command of the police to Abuja for proper investigation and prosecution.
The acting chairman of the party, Alhaji Mouktar Atimah, while addressing newsmen said the ruling party was not ready for a free and fair election as it had been perfecting plans on how to rig the election.
According to him, the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, had vowed to do everything possible to win the election in the state, particularly in the central senatorial district.
Atimah said: “I wish to notify the general public that the Kogi State APC is hell bent on rigging the forthcoming elections in the state especially in the central Senatorial district where the governor hails from. The State Governor has vowed on a series of occasions that he will do everything possible for APC to win Kogi Central.
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“Part of the governor’s plan is to hijack electoral materials to his private residence, cause unrest few days to the election and on the day of the election through the use of thugs and imported militia.
The SDP chairman also said the party and its members in the state had been persecuted and allegedly attacked by suspected hoodlums working for the ruling party in the state.
He said the climax of the series of attack was the murder of a supporter of the party, Ojo Enesi, in Ihima, Okehi local government area of the central senatorial district.
Atimah said: “We call on the Inspector General of Police to transfer all our cases to Abuja and prosecute all those involved in the killing of Ojo Enesi including all those responsible for other attacks launched on our party and her candidate.
The party also charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), relevant security agencies and international organisations to monitor Kogi central election, saying its recent political harassment and attacks were a red flag.
“We also call on the international organisations and civil society groups to consider Kogi State by monitoring the February 16th election. Under section 40 of 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria as amended, every citizen enjoys freedom of association, assembly, speech and of course campaign”, the SDP chairman said.
However, the state governor through his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mohammed Onogwu, said the SDP was raising unfounded allegations because it had lost hope of any chances in the next elections.
He said the SDP, which was an alien party to the people of the state, was “devastated and demoralised by the people’s acceptance of the APC in Kogi State.”
He said: “The APC does not need to rig election in the state as it is consolidating on its sterling performance in the state by going round the 2,548 polling units across the state campaigning to the people but do you see the SDP campaigning? It is because they know the people of Kogi State have rejected them.
“APC under the leadership of His Excellency Alh Yahaya Bello in Kogi State has rooted itself across the state to deliver the votes for all its candidates in the forthcoming elections. The SDP think the ruling party will sit down and write election results the way PDP did in their 16 years in office.”