Why I Joined Governorship Race In Kogi-Ajaka

metro

1 year ago

… Accuses Bello Of Injustice, Violence

The candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Kogi State, Muritala Ajaka says he won’t be in the race if Governor Yahaya Bello and the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) gave the party’s ticket to a candidate from Kogi West Senatorial District.

Ajaka spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday.

With party primaries concluded, Ajaka is in the race for the November 11 governorship poll alongside APC’s Usman Ododo and Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), amongst others.

While Ajaka is from Kogi East Senatorial District, Ododo is from Kogi Central and Melaye from Kogi West.

Ajaka, who was a member of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) before the party’s governorship primary in April 2023 has consistently accused Bello of instigating violence to scare and intimate the electorate to vote for the APC’s candidate who seems not to be popular among the citizens.

The State, particularly, the Kogi east senetorial district, seems to have resolved to move along with Ajaka based on his philanthropist gestures and good disposition to humanity and as such, the residents have continued to live in fear due to alleged intimidation and indiscriminate arrest of people by security agents in opposition parties.

The SDP flag bearer, who described himself as a lover of peace, which he also says is the hallmark of his people, said the APC government under Bello is trying to perpetuate injustice and intimidation to force an unpopular candidate on the people.

On the argument by the Okun people in the Kogi West that it is their turn to produce the next governor of the state, Ajaka said, “In all fairness, if Yahaya Bello is sincere with the people of Kogi State. If he had given it to somebody from the West, of course, we will tell our people to wait. We would have flowed along that line.

“Even when the East were doing this governorship back to back, it has never been the same local government.

“If Yahaya Bello had given it to somebody from the West, of course, it is natural for us to align with that person but for you to give the ticket to somebody from the same ward with you? That can’t stand.”

Ajaka said he threw his hat in the ring because the ruling APC did not give its ticket to a candidate from Kogi West.

“If the APC had given the ticket to somebody from the West, of course, the rest of us would have talked to our people in the East for it to go round,” he said.

The SDP governorship hopeful said those in the Kogi Western side of the state do not have the numbers to win an election, urging them to rather align with the people of the East to fight the “common enemy”.Ajaka also said he had reported cases of violence and attacks even on his life and those of his supporters to security agencies, and still waiting for their action.

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He posited that the intolerance on the part of the government has continued to degenerate on daily basis, alleging that governor Bello recently directed one of his commissioners to instruct some traditional rulers, including the revered fist class rulers like the Attah Igala not to welcome him into their palaces while on campaign.

“It is as bad as that, that a Commissioner can write to direct a first class chief not to receive him,” he lamented.

He however appealed to his supporters to remain calm even in the face of intimation and killings, but rather be determined, assuring them that victory is sure and liberation is near.

Following the alleged injustice perpetrated by the APC and Bello during the party’s primaries, Ajaka however, dumped the ruling APC when he was unable to get the ruling party’s ticket as Ododo, an ally of the incumbent governor and ex-Auditor General of Local Government in the state emerged the APC candidate.