The campaign organization of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Kogi State has accused Governor Yahaya Bello and his All Progressive Congress (APC) of importing mercenaries that may cause violence during Saturday’s exercise.
The Engr Musa Wada/Sam Aro Campaign Organization in a statement signed by Faruk Adejoh-Audu, Director, Media & Publicity, made available to the media in Abuja on Thursday alerted the police and the entire nation of “the exposed list of leaders of thugs, gangsters and political mercenaries imported into Kogi state by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and sinking Governor Yahaya Bello to unbridled violence during the November 16 governorship election.”
The Campaign urged the police to quickly arrest and flush out the hoodlums before their presence trigger a huge crisis in the state, as the people are already agitating to confront them.
It added: “The list of the gangsters as obtained by our campaign include criminal elements such as Fadageri Ikare, TeeJay OPC, Doro, Sheun Barger, Pomcheche, No Kind, Wale Shalashi, Benson Shanghai, Adeyemi, Kutelu, Shogun Smart, Ashupa, Tokyo Oyin and Shina Olubasa among others.
“Our campaign has been made aware by insiders in the Bello camp, of how the hoodlums were brought in from other APC states, with instructions to unleash violence, including killing, harassment and snatching of ballot boxes to derail the smooth conduct of the election and ensure that votes do not count.
“Information at our disposal shows that the hoodlums were brought under an arrangement perfected by APC leaders including an APC state governor who has been detailed to coordinate the thugs as well as compromise the security forces to aid the manipulation of the electoral process.
“Already, the PDP and the people of Kogi state have been made aware of the identity of the hoodlums, the hotels where they are hiding in Lokoja and other towns in the state, as well as their prearranged trails during the election.
“However, our campaign wants the APC, the state governor and their thugs to know that people of Kogi state are at alert and monitoring all their activities in this election; they are ready now, more that ever before, to confront and vanquish them with every means allowed and available in a democracy.
“Our campaign has made this list public and available to the authorities for appropriate action to avert a break down of law and order during the polls.”
The Campaign organization, therefore, called on the Inspector General of Police and the military high command to immediately flush out the hoodlums from the hideouts including the known hotels and government guesthouses, where they are hiding and make them face the law.
“Our candidate, Engr. Musa Wada, is already coasting to victory and the Kogi people, whose mandate he bears, will never allow anybody, no matter the machination, to truncate their expressed determination in this regard,” the statement said.
Credit: Tribune