The ELulu of Mopa and Chairman, Mopamuro Local Government Area Traditional Council of Chiefs, Oba Muyiwa Ibeun, has dissociated himself from a purported letter written to interfere in the ongoing legal tussle over 2023 Kogi governorship election.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Oba Ibeun said the letter to alleging his support for the governorship candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alhaji Murtala Ajaka, is malicious and dubious.
He called on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Department of State Security Service to by all means, investigate the perpetrators of the criminal act.
He prayed for Governor Usman Ododo’s victory at both appeal and supreme courts.
The statement read in part:
“My attention has been drawn to a letter paraded in my name and office as the Elulu of Mopa and Chairman Mopamuro Local Government Area Traditional Council of Chiefs.
“The content of the malicious letter according to information reaching me claims that I have written to interfere in the ongoing November 2023 Kogi State Governorship Election Tribunal, not only to interfere, but to support the former candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alhaji Murtala Ajaka in the case filed in Appeal Court against the victory of his All Progressives Congress counterpart (APC), His Excellency Usman Ahmed Ododo who legitimately won the election and now the Governor of Kogi State.
“As an educated and civilzed fellow, I know the repercussions of interfering in court cases and one which is partisanly political for that matter.
“I have written to refute these claims, and say that I have never authorized such, neither sign such document, nor it came from my office as an individual, business person and monarch. Even though the letter is not in the media space, I have received information from different quarters concerning it.
“I call on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Department of State Security Service (DSSS) to by all means, investigate the perpetrators of this criminal act as I am ready to by every legal means ensure that they get justice and reward for their inimical act.
“Despite not partisan in politics and being a Monarch, as a sense of responsibility of a statesman, I have congratulated the Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency, Alhaji Usman Ahmed Ododo over his victory at the Tribunal.
“For Alhaji Murtala Ajaka, I have neither met, spoken to, contacted taken from nor passed correspondence to him directly or indirectly. Again, I have never had any reason to deal with him.
“As the newly coronated Elulu of Mopa and Chairman Mopamuro Local Government Area Traditional Council of Chiefs, the public should be aware that lots of ox has been gored over my divine emergence, and as such, before now, I have seen lots of pull down syndrome from persons from such camp.
“Once again I congratulate His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo on his emergence as Kogi State Governor and victory at the tribunal, I urge Mopa people in particular and Kogi State people in general to remain calm, to continue to join us in the development of Mopamuro and Kogi State with Governor Usman Ododo as we pray for his victory at both appeal and supreme court.”
Oba Ibeun urged the public to ignore the letter and not be carried away by it, promising that the perpetrators will be brought to book.
