There are indications that Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has been gripped with palpable fear since the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been rebuilding to retake the state during the November governorship election.
National Daily learned that Bello’s fear was accentuated by the warming by the PDP that no amount of threats, harassment and attempts to intimidate its members and supporters by compromised security agents will deter the party from standing together in victory with the people of Kogi State in the November 16 governorship election.
National Daily gathered that the PDP cautioned against political violence as alternative to leadership failure of the APC governor in Kogi State, insisting that the people of Kogi State have already made up their minds to vote out the All Progressives Congress (APC), which has only brought excruciating poverty, deprivation, suicide, wanton looting, impunity and total disregard to the wellbeing of citizens; admonishing that nothing can detract from the people’s resolve to free their state from the oppressive clutches of the APC.
The PDP alerted Nigerians on how gunmen dressed in military uniform have been invading homes of PDP members, including the Chairman of Okene Local Government Area chapter of the party, Musa Adelabu, who the gunmen abducted to an unknown destination.
“Only three days ago, another vocal member of the PDP in Kogi State, Abdlu-salam Kunaye, was picked up in a similar manner.
“The PDP has information that the assailants were sponsored and detailed by desperate elements in APC that have become frenetic over the overwhelming rejection of their party in Kogi State,” the party declared.
PDP had heightened Governor Bello’s apprehension when the party in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in Abuja, remarked that “the All Progressives Congress (APC) is aware that it has already lost grounds in Kogi State following its woeful performance in the last four years under the out-going Governor Yahaya Bello;” noting: “and as such, it is seeking ways to muscle its way by manipulations, harassment, coercing and bullying, which will be resolutely resisted by the people of Kogi State.”
The statement further read: “Our party has also been made aware of how a long list of Kogi citizens and PDP supporters has been submitted to certain compromised security agents and urges the Police and military high command to take steps to curb the situation.
“The PDP in an unequivocal terms, states that it stands with the people of Kogi State in firm resistance to any heinous plot by the APC to prevent the people from voting them out in November.
“Our party, therefore, demands the immediate release of our Okene LGA Chairman and all those abducted, as their incarceration is already raising tension capable of sparking serious consequences.”
The party maintained: “The people of Kogi State are looking up to the PDP to rescue the state from tyranny and nothing can stop them from achieving their resolve of voting in the PDP, which is their party of choice, in the November 16 governorship election.”
Governor Bello has been engulfed in diverse conflicts with several stakeholders in Kogi State, including the state public servants over failure of governance and unpaid salaries.
National Dailylearned that the PDP renewed confidence and firm stamping of the party’s authority in Kogi politics now make Governor Bello panic over his re-election for second term. The Kogi Governor has also been battling with APC leadership over the adoption of indirect primary election which the governor was accused of manipulating the APC NWC to approve for the state. Apparently, Governor Bello is still contending with the crisis of in-cohesion and factionalisation in the APC in the build up to the November governorship election in Kogi State. Kogi stakeholders were of the view that Governor Bello has reasons to be perturbed as PDP bounces back to reckoning in the state.