THE candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for Kogi central senatorial district, Natasha Akpoti, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police over alleged threat to her life, intimidation and destruction of campaign materials by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
She accused the candidate of the APC, Alhaji Yakubu Oseni and other leaders of the ruling party in the zone of orchestrating violence in the area.
According to the petition dated December 3, 2018, the SDP’s candidate said her life and that of her supporters were not safe following the continued invasion of her electioneering events.
She lamented that suspected hoodlums loyal to the APC’s candidate and the administrator of Adavi local government area, Joseph Salami, had been disrupting her meetings and campaigns.
She said, “on the 18th of November, 2018, the official permission by electoral law/act to all political parties and candidates to begin campaign was declared open.
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By this declaration, all political parties and candidates are allowed by the law to display posters, banners and billboards as means of campaign and politicking towards the general elections come February 2019.
“In view of the above, we organized weekly meetings for our members across the 57 wards of the five local governments that constitute Kogi Central Senatorial District while making plans for sensitization and campaign rallies across the communities of the District. Posters, billboards and banners of our candidate, Barrister Natasha Hadiza Akpoti on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) were displayed to project our candidateā€™s vision and worthiness necessary to secure votes during the forthcoming elections.
“To our greatest dismay, these campaign materials are being removed and destroyed and our meetings are being disrupted by some suspected thugs allegedly working for Alhaji Yakubu Oseni who is the Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Hence, the petition becomes necessary to allow peace to reign in the senatorial zone, before, during, and after the election having known the volatile nature of the zone.
While ensuring that our members do not take law into their hands and all due security protocols are observed, on Sunday 9th of the December 2018, some hoodlums closely associated with the Adavi LG Administrator, Hon Joseph Salami (aka Roasty) stormed the venue of our ward meeting at Alhaji Badamsā€™ compound, Inorere in Adavi Local Government with arms and ammunition.
“They chased our members with their weapons, stoned some of the women, set ablaze the plastic chairs they were seated on and destroyed some properties belonging to the host coordinator, Mr Badams Abdulrahaman.
“Very unfortunate to note that this happened in the presence of four policemen after we have written officially to the Divisional Police Officer to notify him of the meeting in our letter dated 7th December 2018 which was acknowledged and the same notification was conveyed to the Area Commander in charge of Adavi local government area”.
The petition, however, prayed the police authorities to invite the administrator of Adavi, his colleague for Okehi local government area, Abdulraheem Ohiare, and others that had been fingered in the attacks for questioning.