Kogi senatorial candidates allege intimidation, threat to life

The Kogi State Central Senatorial candidate of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP), Natasha Akpoti has ruled out possibility of stepping down from the race, due to alleged threat and intimidation by Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.

Natasha, who spoke to journalists in Abuja, claimed that, at the behest of Bello, thugs unleashed deadly attack on her supporters. She urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call Governor Bello to order, expressing concern that security agents have not done enough to stem the rising tide of politically motivated violence in the state.

She said: “The Governor called me to step down, that he wanted to present his candidate and I refused. Then he said, ‘Natasha, don’t challenge me because I have all the machineries at my disposal to frustrate you. You cannot disgrace me because I must deliver the votes to my father, President Buhari.’ He said he would fight me with the last drop of his blood. He also made the same statement to other people, which means the Governor is ready for outright violence.

She listed the dangerous activities to include the killing of SDP Youth Leader, Ojo Enesi; the abduction of SDP Youth Mobiliser, Friday Ovoro; the stabbing of eight SDP supporters and one Fatayi Yakubu, who was stabbed for installing Akpoti’s banner in front of his house, and the vandalisation of an SDP Chairman’s property, when thugs invaded his house and couldn’t find him.

Similarly, the Senatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for Kogi East Senatorial district in the forthcoming polls, Dr. Victor Adoji has alleged threat to his life by Kogi State government.Briefing newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, Adoji particularly accused the state governor, Yahaya Bello of sponsoring attacks on his person and supporters to ruin his chances of winning.

He described the development as anti-democratic, and that in the last few days, the activities had negatively impacted on his campaign activities, while creating underpinnings that are unhealthy for political development in the short and long run.He said: “My supporters and campaign team members now live in fear of being attacked. In fact, they don’t feel safe in their houses anymore, due to the rampaging thuggery activities allegedly sponsored by the incumbent state government.

Even our posters and billboards in strategic locations across the constituency were either removed or destroyed.”He sought the international community’s attention, the international protocol on civil and political rights, as well as other relevant international bodies to promptly redress the overbearing attitude of the state government towards the opposition.