Kogi, Bayelsa elections: APC, PDP trade accusations over violence

The All Progressives Congress says it has uncovered a plot by the Peoples Democratic Party to unleash violence before and during the November 16 governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states.

The party raised the alarm that the PDP was already creating an atmosphere of fear and stage-managed violence while playing the victim.

Recall that the PDP in a statement on Sunday alleged that the APC thugs attacked its Kogi governorship candidate, Musa Wada, and killed a supporter, Yusuf Uhiene.

Wada was attacked while heading to Anyigba in the Dekina Local Government Area of the state on his way to attend the Kogi East PDP stakeholders’ meeting on Saturday.

But the APC National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, in a statement on Monday accused the opposition party of playing the victim.

The statement read, “Already, the PDP is creating an atmosphere of fear and stage-managed violence, while playing the victim so as to scare voters from coming out on election day to exercise their franchise.

“It is instructive to note that violence has been the election winning strategy for the PDP during its inglorious 16 years rule. The strategy started to fail them from 2015 and particularly in the 2019 elections. This strategy will fail again on November 16.”

The APC called on security agencies to take seriously PDP’s recent threats to the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who is the Chairman of the APC Kogi State National Governoship Campaign Council, to “steer clear” of Kogi State during the campaign.

But the PDP on Monday said the APC was rather planning to sponsor violence during the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsas states.

The PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr Diran Odeyemi, said the PDP was a law-abiding party.

He said, “Our party does not believe in violence which was why former President Goodluck Jonathan willingly relinquish power to the APC when President Buhari threatened that baboons would be soaked in blood should he lose the election.

“We are sure of victory in Kogi because the electorates have suffered under the present APC administration. The PDP has a formidable team led by Engineer Seyi Makinde to lead the party to victory.”