As the November 11, 2023 Governorship election inches closer, the Social Democratic Party has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Security Chiefs and all relevant stakeholders to impress on the APC administration in the state to thread with caution to avoid break down of law and order during the electioneering process.
The Director General, new Media , Muri/Sam campaign Council, Isaiah D. Ijele, said, the call became necessary to avert mass arrest and unleashing violence on the SDPĀ leaders and supporters by the agents of the state through frivolous allegations.
The spokesperson in a press release he personally signed and made available to journalists on Sunday in Lokoja, said that the campaign team have it on good authority that the APC administration has perfected plans to deploy state agents and non state actors bearing arms to incriminate and arrest leaders and supporters of SDP.
He alleged that the APC intends to use false allegations, planting of arms in the homes of SDP members with the aim to silence them before the election.
He lamented at the coordinated attacks on his members in various communities across Kogi East, and the recent mayhem carried against the party at a rally in Kotonkarfe , headquarters of Kogi LGA.
According to him the ruling Party in the state has lost people’s appeal and to them the only option is to use violence to cow the rising profile of the SDP, urging the press as the mouthpiece of the weak to let the world know the actual political situation in the state.
” We want the world to understand that the SDP candidate who is on groundĀ mobilising electorate across the three senatorial zones in kogi state cannot be cowedĀ asĀ Ā the people are resolute to vote for him come November 11, 2023.
” Any system by the stateĀ to use conflict, crises and violence to cause voters apathy will not work.
“We want Mr. President, The National Assembly, The National Security Adviser, The Inspector General of Police, The chief of Army staff and all the security Agencies including the minister of Defense toĀ call agents of the state allegedly perpetrating violenceĀ to order.
“We want a kogi state that is peaceful, we want to be able to sell our candidate to the people of kogi state like weāve been doing and we also challenge him to sell his candidate to the people and not to procure violence, not to cause crises or conflict in kogi state.
“We want a free, fair and transparent election, we want a level playing field, that is all we are asking for.
“Muri isĀ ready. He is committed to his campaign, Muri is on ground and we the SDP are equally on ground and by the grace of God we shall WinĀ the November 11 Election resoundingly” He assured.