Deputy Governor of Kogi state, Comrade Joel Salifu, has distanced himself from an alleged assault on members of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the state.
Reacting to an allegation by a member of SDP in the state, Omera Opaluwa, that thugs loyal to the Deputy Governor attacked three persons who had attended a party meeting in Ejule last week, Comrade Joel Salifu said the claims are unfounded and baseless.
According to a press release signed by Unubi Emmanuel, Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, on Saturday, Comrade Joel Salifu called on the SDP to prioritize internal cohesion and engage in genuine political discourse, rather than resorting to unfounded accusations and blame games.
The release emphasised the Deputy Governor’s commitment to a robust democracy with a strong and competitive opposition.
“It is obvious that the opposition SDP in the state is engaged in unfounded accusations and a blame game, rather than addressing their internal conflict. It is well-documented that the SDP in the state is divided into two factions, each led by its own Chairman, and they are perpetually embroiled in a struggle for control over the party’s structure. The aggrieved faction must have launched the assault and inflicted injuries upon the other faction.
“We advise the opposition SDP to prioritize internal cohesion and engage in the genuine political discourse expected of an opposition party in a democratic framework such as ours. We shall not allow ourselves to be dragged into the mire and disgrace of engaging in conflict with a party that lacks structure and organization,” the released stated.
The Deputy Governor urged the SDP to eschew the politics of bitterness, falsehoods, and unfounded accusations, and to refrain from inciting animosity among innocent citizens.
