The All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates, Senator Dino Melaye and Social Democratic Party (SDP ) Murtala Ajaka, against escalating tension in Kogi State.
APC expressed concern that their statements and actions could potentially escalate violence in the state following their poor performance in the election.
During a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Felix Morka, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, warned that despite the candidates refraining from legal challenges to the election results, particularly in favor of APC candidate Usman Ododo, they persist in sowing discord in Kogi State.
He said: “The candidate of the PDP, Dino Melaye, has emphatically and publicly declared his decision not to challenge the outcome of the election, according to him, because he has no confidence in the judiciary to fairly adjudicate any dispute he may bring forward.
“On his part, the candidate of the SDP, Murtala Ajaka, stated, on national television, that he will not challenge the election, for reasons similar to that advanced by his opposition counterpart, Dino, who has no confidence in the judiciary, especially as INEC will be a potential witness in the case to justify the outcome of the election.
“In a sudden u-turn, Ajaka, is now reported to have changed his mind and now intends to bring a petition before the Election Petition Tribunal, even though, it appears that he is out of time to validly do so. However, we will leave that for determination by the courts.”
The APC Spokesperson criticized the reported assault on Election Tribunal Secretary Mike Umar David on Monday, December 4, 2023, citing “in very spurious circumstances” connecting it to the opposition.
“The SDP has a lot of explaining to do regarding this incident. Their utterances and actions, before, and since, that incident, betray suspicious special knowledge of the incident.
“Before Monday’s incident involving the Tribunal’s Secretary, the residence of the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Gabriel Hale Longpet, was also attacked on Friday, December 1, 2023, by armed hoodlums.
“These and other acts of violence in Kogi state are barbaric, undemocratic, and unacceptable. The people of Kogi State deserve to live in peace and security.
These sponsored and senseless acts of violence must stop.
“We note and welcome the statement by the Kogi Police Command of an ongoing investigation of the alleged attack on the Secretary to the Election Tribunal and the Resident Electoral Commissioner. We urge the Police to do so thoroughly and expeditiously, and to bring the perpetrators and their sponsors to justice,” he added
Kanyi Daily recalls that Dino Melaye, in the recently concluded Kogi State Governorship election, had announced his decision not to pursue legal action in response to his electoral defeat.
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