All Progressives Congress (APC) has berated the conducts of leading opposition candidates in the Kogi state following the outcome of November 11 governorship election in the state.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the national publicity secretary of APC, Felix Morka accused opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi of incendiary conducts.
He stated that rather than carry out comprehensive evaluation of the reasons they were rejected at the polls, these parties have continued to peddle falsehood and promote ethnic and social unrest in the state.
Morka, alongside his deputy, Durosinmi Meseko, alleged that despite substantial compliance with electoral laws and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the conduct of the elections, the post-election situation in Kogi has been bedeviled by contrived controversies and orchestrated violence that now threaten the peace and security of the state.
“We condemn, as dangerous, the incendiary rhetoric of opposition figures in Kogi state who continue to inflame passion and incite strife. Their actions and utterances provide a charged atmosphere for escalation of violence in the state.
“We participated in the Kogi election, our candidate campaigned widely and vigorously to win the hearts and minds of the good Kogi electorate. He built upon the strong record of achievement of Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration and our party’s progressive manifesto,” he said.
APC condemned the reported attack against the Secretary of the Election Tribunal, Mike Umar David, on Monday, in very spurious circumstances, insisting that the SDP clearly has a lot of explaining to do regarding the incident.
“Their utterances and actions, prior to, and since, that incident, betray suspicious special knowledge of the incident.
“Prior to Monday’s incident involving the Tribunal’s Secretary, the residence of the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Gabriel Hale Longpet, was also attacked on Friday, December 1, 2023 by armed hoodlums.
“These and other acts of violence in Kogi state are barbaric, undemocratic and unacceptable. The people of Kogi State deserve to live in peace and security. These sponsored and senseless acts of violence must stop.
“We note and welcome the statement by the Kogi Police Command of an ongoing investigation of the alleged attack on the Secretary to the Election Tribunal and the Resident Electoral Commissioner. We urge the Police to do so thoroughly and expeditiously, and to bring the perpetrators and their sponsors to justice.”
