Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP in Kogi State, Alhaji Murtala Ajaka has alerted security agencies on the alleged plan by Governor Yahaya Bello to sponsor some youths dressed in SDP vests to stage protests in Lokoja and Abuja today (Saturday).
He said in a viral video message circulated Friday night that he did not authorize any protest in his name or that of SDP as such protests were being planned by his detractors to cause trouble and threaten peace and order in Lokoja and in the Federal Capital Territory.
“I have just been informed of a planned protest by some people claiming to be members of the Social Democratic Party or acting on my instruction. I did not authorize any protest in Lokoja or Abuja tomorrow (Saturday). Anybody protesting in my name should be arrested, they are all agents of Yahaya Bello planning to cause confusion in the state and possibly in Abuja. So please, the security agencies should take note and get these people arrested.
“Anybody seen with SDP vests tomorrow protesting anywhere should be arrested, they are agents of Yahaya Bello,” Ajaka said.
The Muri/Sam Gubernatorial Campaign Council of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) had in a statement earlier on Friday accused Governor Bello of commissioning some miscreants to mobilize thousands of thugs from across the country to stage insurrections simultaneously in Lokoja and Abuja starting from this weekend.
The statement signed by Faruk Adejoh-Audu, Spokesman, Director Communications of the campaign council, reads in part:
“We are aware that thousands of Tshirts bearing the image of Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka our candidate in the November 11, Kogi Governorship Election and our party logo have been printed by these outlaws and are being distributed to the rented thugs to wear in the course of attacking motorists and destroying property in Abuja and Lokoja this weekend.
“The SDP wishes to strongly condemn the desperation of Mr Bello, which has now descended to sheer criminality. Why would a governor who openly bragged that he won an election, free and fair for his puppet, engage in funding violence through mass impersonation in the nation’s capital?
“In the last one week thugs and gun men have lunched series of attacks on democratic institutions and custodians of such institutions in Kogi State .
“Angry that his campaign of violence has led to the relocation of the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal to Abuja, Mr Bello is now importing his gangs of violent thugs to the federal capital to attack innocent persons and blame it on the SDP.
“We are by this statement informing the security agencies particularly the Nigerian Police Force, (NPF) and the Directorate of State Security (DSS) that except they move to reign in the outlaw in Lokoja, thugs will lay siege on Abuja tomorrow wearing SDP T-shirts and fez caps.
“We totally disown these criminals and call on the DSS and Police to use maximum force to contain these insurrectionist who have been paid to impersonate members of the SDP.”
Adejoh said similar insurrection by rented thugs wearing SDP T-shirts and fez caps was sponsored last week in Lokoja to prevent the party’s lawyer’s from inspecting election materials.
“We promptly issued a statement to disown the impersonators while they were at it, but unfortunately a section of the media still went to town to report that the insurrectionists were our members even when they were duly in receipt of our disclaimer.
“Most of these people relied on the Commissioner of police in Lokoja, one Bethrand Onouha who, to all intent and purposes, has been very biased and compromised in the discharge of his statutory duties in the course of this elections.
“We are serving notice now that we shall be seeking redress in court against anyone who dares to refer to these thugs as our members after this disclaimer.”
The party spokesman stated categorically that “the SDP is not organizing any protests or demonstrations whatsoever, anyone caught in SDP paraphernalia or memorabilia engaging in any protest or criminal activity in Abuja or Lokoja within this period should immediately be regarded as a mercenary rented to impersonate our members and cause mayhem and should be made to face the full wrath of the law.”
(Advocatengr)
