By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
WITH the Kogi off-circle Governorship Election less than three weeks away, Gun wielding hoodlums believed to be sponsored political thugs have again, disrupted the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Governorship Election Ward rally in Ejule, Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Faruk Adejoh-Audu, Director, Communications, Muri/Sam Gubernatorial Campaign Council of the SDP disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday in Lokoja.
The campaign Communications Director said that the hoodlums descended on the rally venue at St Matthews Primary School, Ejule and started shooting sporadically to disperse a mammoth crowd of SDP supporters that had gathered for the event.
He said that earlier in the day at about 9:30am, about two hours to the scheduled time for commencement of the rally, the thugs had invaded the venue and destroyed canopies, Public Address Systems, Chairs and the podium arranged for the event.
“But SDP leaders in the LGA led by Elder Obolo Okpanachi, Rabi Emaiku and Gambo Haruna encouraged supporters to ignore the intimidation and still show up for the rally.
“The moment supporters began trooping to the rally ground followed by a motorcade, the hoodlums again unleashed the thugs this time shooting sporadically”, he said.
Adejoh-Audu however said that the gunmen led personally by one Mohammed Nasir Alfa said to be the Assistant State Chairmam of the APC (Kogi East District), this time, laid seige on the rally ground shooting sporadically.
He said that the SDP supporters had to scamper for safety and run for their dear lives adding that Several persons were injured in the course of the bedlam while the thugs equally destroyed several vehicles they identified as belonging to SDP supporters.
Adejoh-Audu said eye witnesses identified some of the thugs including Dele Ademu; Daddy Ndah; Danladi Alaba from (Umomi Village); Muhammed Nasiru Alfa (APC zonal Chairman); Yahaya Ademu aka Kia Man; Mustapha Idris aka Ore; Besiru Mudi aka Para (all from Ejule Town).
“This is the second time that an SDP Rally will be attacked by identified aides of Bello leading thugs in less than weeks.
A similar attack was unleashed on an SDP rally at Koton Karfe in Kogi LGA of the state on September 29, leading to one death and at least 10 persons sustaining gunshot injuries.
“For the record, we are again calling on the President and Commander-in- Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Inspector General of Police,
“The Director-General of the Directiorate of State Services and all other Mangers of our security and federation to urgently intervene and address the drift in Kogi State before it fatally undermines our democracy”, he said.
One of the Chieftains of the party, Col. Suleiman Babanawa (rtd) said the unprovoked and surprise attack on SDP supporters on Wednesday presented a sad reminiscence of one of those unsavoury moments in the History of Kogi East Senatorial District.
“I’m very sad, I’m disturbed, that what should have been a very peaceful campaign, designed by the campaign council, approved by the commissioner of Police, has turned into the kind of mayhem that we saw in Ejule.
“Who is really responsible for this? Who is directing this script? It is very unfortunate. However, we remain restrained, we remain law-abiding, we remain hopeful that the powers that be will look carefully into this, we believe in Mr President, we believe in the security team that we have.
“We will ensure that we do things democratically, we don’t do things with impunity. We still remain restrained and I hope that it will not reach a point where we will ask the common man to defend himself”, he said.