The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a stern warning to Dino Melaye, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Yakubu Ajaka, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), candidate in the Nov 11 offcycle elections to desist from inciting violence in the state with their actions.
Recall that there have been cases of violence in the state before and after the election which produced APC candidate, Ahmed Usman Ododo as the winner.
Speaking to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka claimed that Melaye and Ajaka have been blackmailing the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The ruling party urged the police command to investigate the alleged attack on the Secretary to the election tribunal and the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Gabriel Hale Longpet.
The APC said, “Despite substantial compliance with electoral laws and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the conduct of the elections, the post-election situation in Kogi has been bedeviled by contrived controversies and orchestrated violence that now threaten the peace and security of the good state of Kogi.
“The opposition parties that contested that election, particularly the SDP and the PDP are severely conflicted between accepting or challenging the result of the election. Rather than carry out comprehensive evaluation of the reasons they were rejected at the polls, these parties have continued to peddle falsehood and promote ethnic and social unrest in the state.
“We condemn, as dangerous, the incendiary rhetoric of opposition figures in Kogi State who continue to inflame passion and incite strife. Their actions and utterances provide a charged atmosphere for escalation of violence in the state.
“We especially condemn the reported attack against the Secretary of the Election Tribunal, Mike Umar David, on Monday, December 4, 2023, in very spurious circumstances. The SDP clearly has a lot of explaining to do regarding this incident. Their utterances and actions, prior to, and since, that incident, betray suspicious special knowledge of the incident.”
