2019: Melaye Accuse Kogi Govt. of Intimidation, Vandalisation of Billboards

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Ahead of the February 2019 federal elections, the campaign organization of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Dino Melaye, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and agents of Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello of intimidation and harassment of the opposition.
This was made known to newsmen in Kabba, Kogi State at the weekend by the Director General, Dino Melaye Senatorial Campaign Organization, Chief Shola Ojo during its inaugural meeting.
Ojo, a former member of House of Representatives and erstwhile Secretary to Kogi State Government (SSG) said the meeting deliberated on sundry issues preparatory to the flag off of the campaign.
He condemned the destruction of Melaye’s campaign billboards by unknown persons and called for full investigation by the local government sole administrators to fish out the culprits or be seen as accomplishes.
Journalists were later conducted round parts of the senatorial districts, including Mopamuro, Yagba West and Yagba East local government headquarters, showing the remains of  Melaye’s campaign billboards either mutilated, torn or outrightly burnt.
He noted that the party was aware of the marching order handed hoodlums to mark PDP supporters in the zone as targets of violent attacks in the days ahead.
Our reporter gathered that, despite the lifting of ban on electioneering campaign by INEC, the meeting initially slated to hold at the Dino Melaye campaign organization office along Okene road was later moved to the Kogi West PDP zonal office, Kabba due to failure to secure police permit. The police was said to have referred the conveners of the meeting to the commissioner of police in Lokoja.
Previously, the police authorities in Lokoja had been at loggerheads with Melaye. The former had declared the senator wanted for his alleged  refusal to honour its invitation over the exchange of fire power between his convoy
and the Police in the state few months ago. Melaye, on the other hand has serially alleged organized attempts on his life in Kogi.
Asked how the PDP candidate intend to carry out his campaign effectively under the circumstances, Ojo said Melaye is not on the run from the long arms of the law.
“We are of the conviction that our candidate is innocent and that he will be vindicated in the end. Let them assure of his protection today, he will submit himself to the police immediately, but you know the politics behind these allegations and the risk to his life turning himself in unassured of protection. I assure you he will be here with us during the campaign and victory for him is assured. He will come and nothing will happen”.
Meanwhile, it was a full House at the Kogi West PDP zonal party secretariat in Kabba as the first meeting of the campaign organization held ahead of official inauguration in Abuja on Wednesday.
In attendance were Kogi West Zonal Chairman, Chief Taiwo Kola-Ojo, Director General (DG), Chief Shola Ojo, three Deputy Directors-Generals in charge of the three Federal Constituencies in the zone, Shetima Abogun (Lokoja/Kotonkarfe), Joseph Dada (Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu) and Ganiyu Salaudeen (Yagba).
Coordinators of the seven local governments, accompanied by their local government party chairmen as well as members of the nine component directorates of the campaign organization were also present.
Also in attendance were two of Melaye’s opponents before the primaries, Chief Henry Ojuola and Hon Ganiyu Salaudeen. Another erstwhile senate aspirant, Hon Sunday Karimi sent a representative.
Ojo informed party loyalists in attendance of several engagements and consultations that have been done in Abuja and Lokoja prior to the meeting.
Considering the commencement of campaign he said it has become expedient to focus on the grassroots as politics is local.
He enthused that reconciliatory efforts to reunite Melaye with aggrieved co-aspirants in the automatic ticket saga has yielded positive results, describing the development as a positive omen for the party’s victory in the 2019 elections.
“The number of aspirants hitherto feared to be a bad omen for the party has turned out a blessing in disguise as all of them have shown unbelievable commitment, morally and financially”, he said.
He disclosed that notable political bigwigs from the ruling APC have keyed into the quest for the success of Melaye and the party with the expectation that formal decamping to the party will take place soon.

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