Kogi Guber: PDP Accuses Gov. Bello Of Planning To Oppress Opposition Leaders

The Kogi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has revealed an alleged plan by the state Governor, Yahaya Bello, to derail the November 16 governorship election in the state.

The opposition party accused the state governor of planing to go after leaders of the party ahead of the forthcoming election.

PDP stated this while calling for the immediate and unconditional release of its Head of security in Dekina Local Government Area of the state, Edeh Abutu.

The spokesperson of PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, while speaking on the detention of Abutu, alleged Governor Bello abducted Abutu on trumped-up charges and took him to an unknown destination.

Ologbondiyan said: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in unequivocal terms, demands an immediate and unconditional release of innocent Nigerians, including PDP’s Head of Security in Dekina Local Government, Mr. Edeh Abutu, who was reportedly abducted by the Governor Yahaya Bello’s All Progressives Congress (APC) on trumped-up charges and taken to unknown destination where they are believed to be under torture.”

“Nigerians will recall that last Thursday, October 31, 2019, the PDP alerted of the heinous plots by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and outgoing Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state to clampdown on key leaders in the state as well as unleash violence on the people, for their decision not to vote Yahaya Bello back to office.”

He accused the state governor of taking this decision having realized that the people of the state are not ready to change their resolve to kick out the incompetent, corrupt current administration.

Ologbondiyan claimed that the ruling party out of desperation has started framing and arresting innocent Nigerians, harassing and victimizing women and youths, blocking peoples’ means of livelihood and issuing threats on the citizenry, all in an effort to manipulate the election outcome.

He further stated that some hoodlums and compromised security agents, led by the state deputy governor, Edward Onoja, arrested the PDP head of security in Dekina Local Government, Mr Edeh Abutu, over trumped-up charges of possession of a firearm.

The PDP spokesperson accused the opposition party of framing Abutu after he pulled a great crowd for our governorship campaign rally in Dekina.

He said, “The PDP has been made aware of how APC thugs invaded his area of residence, traumatized and harassed citizens with gunshots and abducted Mr Abutu to an unknown destination, after which the illegal deputy Governor turned himself into the spokesman of the police by rushing to falsely claim that he (Abutu) made some confessional statement of being in possession of firearms.”

“Information at our disposal shows that at the time the illegal deputy governor was publicizing his fabricated confessional statement, there was no such record with the Police in Dekina or the State Police Command.”

He noted that PDP has been informed of how the abductors who were led by an APC Zonal Chairman, took their victims to the Governor’s Lodge in Dekina and how the deputy Governor has been mounting pressure on the Commissioner of Police to adopt his fabricated statement against their victims.

PDP accused APC of planning to frame the party leaders of illegal possession of a firearm, sponsoring of violence, training of thugs as an attempt to cover APC’s violence machination against the people of the state.

It added: “Nigerians are aware of how Governor Bello and the APC have been desperate to suppress the people, inject crisis into the polity, unleash punishment on the people of Kogi state and derail the electoral process, seeing that they cannot win the November 16 election.”

“The PDP wants the APC and Governor Yahaya Bello to note that our party is aware of all their plans and that they cannot have their way.”

“Our party cautions the APC and Yahaya Bello to note that they are pushing the people of Kogi state to the wall; that the forbearance of the people of Kogi State is being stretched to the threshold, that there is a limit to what they can bear and that they may soon no longer hesitate to unleash their indignation against forces of oppression.”

“Already, the continuous detention of Edeh Abutu is mounting agitation among the people, particularly the youth, and the situation is capable of causing a crisis of unimaginable proportion in the state.”

“The people of Kogi state have resolved that Yahaya Bello must go. Arresting, harassing and intimidating the citizens will not change anything. Rather it will increase the irreversible disaffection the people of Kogi state already have for the failed Governor Bello and his APC.”

“Moreover, Yahaya Bello is surely leaving office in January 2020 after being handed an inevitable defeat on November 16. Anybody supporting him in suppressing the people may find himself sharing his badge of shame and public rejection as a failed leader.”