Few weeks after the 11th November 2023 governorship election in kogi state, the dust raised by it is still cascading and threatening the peaceful atmosphere of the state .
Indications showed that the dust will will never settle down for now until the right thing is seen to be done in order to cool down the nerves of the aggrieved in the struggle to retrieve alleged stolen mandate.
According to the chairman of the Kogi Youth Frontier (KYF), Comrade Danjuma Ibrahim, the storm that followed the said election can only settle down if the issues involved are treated with objectivity as demanded by the law, and the mandate is returned to its rightful owner.
The KYF chairman said it was obvious that the dust cannot settle down when the aggrieved believe that the election results were doctored and manipulated to favour the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo.
“The dust cannot settle down until justice is served by the judiciary, as stipulated by the Electoral laws, and the rightful owner of the mandate, the candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alhaji Muritala Ajaka is declared the winner”, he said.
Comrade Ibrahim stated further that governor Yahaya Bello have betrayed his covert moves in the said election by running from pillars to poles and drafting people in position of trust in the country to uphold the doctored result as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“Governor Bello and his cousin, Ahmed Ododo have been meeting perceived people of substance in the country in a view to draft them to assist him to cover up their atrocities against the people of Kogi State.
“They have drafted army of thugs into streets of major towns and cities in the state , particularly, Lokoja, the state capital, organising all kinds of protests, harassing, attacking and intimidating political opponents , including innocent citizens, with impunity.
“Also, legion of arm-chair critics were recruited to write and spread unprintable, cooked up and unfounded stories/ messages to discredit innocent individuals in the society , “particularly the supporters of Alhaji Muritala Ajaka”, he said .
The KYF chairman stated that one of such tasteless and ill-motivated write-up occupied the state public space recently by one Isa Ismail, with the title: “Kogi Governorship Polls Questions for the Judiciary, SDP”.
Comrade Ibrahim stated further that although it’s not his character to discredit a person over held views , but the submission of this “arm-chair writer” can best be described as jaundice from junk shops that can only impress the ill- informed in the society .
“For the sake of posterity, I want to state the kernel of matter here for records purpose, by bringing to the fore the coated or conjured figures said to be from Okene and Adavi local governments voters in the disputed election.
“By INEC declared result, Okene Local Government Area alone “allegedly” turned in about 138,416 votes out of accredited voters of 141,898 for APC candidate, Ododo.
“The same local government provided only 25,000 votes for president Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the earlier presidential election, few months back .
” Also, the declared result from
Adavi local government where APC candidate was said to have secured 101,156 votes out of 103,251 accredited voters is an eye opener that agitated the mind of foul play.
“These records by all standard of weighing, historically or legally smelt outright flagrance of cheating, malpractices and deceit; therefore, it cannot go unchallenged in the court of competent jurisdiction by the aggrieved.
“It baffle me to read Ismail who appeared hurriedly recruited to defend the unmerited result placed in the hands of Ododo through unscrupulous manner to come up with jaundiced judgement of credibility of the election”,he said.
To impress his pay master, this self aclaimed “Rightist”, raised issue of filing petition outside the stipulated date, including casting aspersion on Barrister Jubrin Okutepa (SAN) for calling on the federal government to intervene in the political drama in Kogi State.
“By his vituperation, Mr. Isa Ismail remains an apologist of Yahaya – Ododo – APC progeny who believe in robbing others, using the machinery of government.
“I advise Isah and co-travellers to hold their breathe and allow the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and lawyers to do their work diligently, as expected by the law, since the aggrieved have gone to the law court to seek for redress”, he said.
