The Ondo State chapters of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party have made allegations and counter accusations against each other over support for their parties in the forthcoming governorship election in Kogi State.
The PDP accused the APC in the state of planning to use the state resources to finance the ruling party for the election.
The PDP Publicity Secretary, Zadok Akintoye, in a statement on Friday, had alleged that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu wanted to repay his Kogi State counterpart, Yahaya Bello, by financing the latter’s re-election campaign because Bello allegedly financed Akeredolu’s election in 2016.
Reacting, the APC spokesman, Mr Alex Kalejaiye, described the PDP’s allegation as “mischievous” and “false.”
Kalejaiye said, “For the record, the state chapter plans to set up a committee that has a clear assignment: to boost the morale of our party members in Kogi State.
“It is ridiculous for any individual or a political party, especially one that has national colouration, to allege that Ondo APC would build a war chest for an election holding in Kogi State, or anywhere for that matter.
“Without dispute, the APC-led government in the state harbours no space for financial recklessness. This has drawn applause from objective and sincere observers and resulted in maximising benefits of levies and taxes for the welfare of the people.”
However, the Ondo PDP described the APC-controlled government in Kogi State as a failure to the people of the state and warned Akeredolu not to waste Ondo State money on an election of another state.
The party said, “We are aware that Mr Yahaya Bello in 2016 funded the election of the incumbent governor (of Ondo State) into power and that it has become mandatory on this present administration to pay back the investment of Mr Bello towards that election in 2016.
“It should be remembered that the Kogi State Governor practically relocated to Ondo State to do a yeoman’s job in ensuring that (the campaign of) his friend was well-funded in winning his election.
“It is noteworthy that, in the last two years, citizens of this state have been forced to pay increased levies and taxes to fund governments’ demand for funds, which has not been unaccounted for by the APC-led Ondo State government.”
Akintoye urged Akeredolu to spend the money generated in Ondo to develop the state.
