THE UNEDITED PRESS STATEMENT:
BEING PRESS BRIEFING BY KOGI UNITED FOR DEMOCRACY, AT ABUJA ON SATURDAY, 25TH JANUARY, 2020 ON THE UGLY INCIDENCE OF VIOLENCE, POLITICAL BRIGANDAGE AND KILLINGS DURING AND AFTER GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION IN KOGI STATE ON NOVEMBER 16, 2019
Protocols,
INTRODUCTION
The Kogi United for Democracy is a conglomeration of democrats of like minds drawn from the three Senatorial Districts in Kogi State. It is driven by passion and vision for an egalitarian Kogi State, which is in tandem with the dreams of the founding fathers and well-meaning citizens of the state.
The body comprises of socio-cultural, political and interest groups that are sensitive to the yearnings and aspirations of our people; and monitor political developments in the state.
Obviously, this is in the pursuit of common destiny as envisioned by the founding fathers of Kogi State, who wanted a people with a common destiny, having been united previously under the provincial system of administration. In Kabba Province, the people of Kogi State today were structured in one federating unit. This dovetailed into the creation of Kwara State on 27th May, 1967, where we all lived as brothers despite our tribal and cultural differences.
NOVEMBER 16, 2019 GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION
As a group that is interested in the wellbeing of Kogi State citizens, it is regrettable that the November 16, 2019 governorship election which the incumbent governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello purportedly won has gone into the book of chronicle as the worst political events in the history of Nigeria.
The early warning signs that the election would not be free and fair were not only ignored by the authorities, but did nothing to create a conducive atmosphere for electorates to carry out their civic responsibilities.
Kogi State which was created on 27th August, 1991 has had elections conducted for many times, but has not witnessed the high level of political brigandage orchestrated through the state apparatuses as seen before, during and after the November 16, 2019. The election has nonetheless, left the state divided along ethnic and political considerations.
Indeed, we want to reiterate here that the November 16, 2019 governorship election in our dear state has left an indelible dark spot in our political journey because our collectivity in our desire for a united Kogi State was greatly undermined by the incumbent governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies.
Prior to the election, the incumbent governor did show his endorsement of brigandage and gangsterism which made well-meaning citizens in the state and political parties to raise alarm and wrote several complaints to the authorities concerned.These complaints fell on deaf ears and the security agencies became complacent to the various issues raised.
Consequently, many lives were lost during and after the election as thugs loyal to Alhaji Yahaya Bello openly killed and maimed people without hindrances from the security agencies.
The election was marred with irregularities of the highest order. It was characterised with ballot box snatching, stuffing and destruction of electoral materials coupled with widespread violence and vote buying at exorbitant rate.
On a particular note, was the use of Police helicopter which teargased from the air to scare voters away, thereby, paving way for the brigands to operate.
The level of irregularity was unprecedented in the annals of our political history in Kogi state. The results scored by parties were manipulated in favour of the incumbent governor. There was post election violence on a large scale leading to the killing of a woman leader of PDP in Ofu Local Government Area, Mrs Salome Achejuh Abuh. That incident has left the entire citizens of Kogi State to live in fear and has actually necessitated our coming together to give this briefing.
KOGI PEOPLE MOURN NOVEMBER 16, 2019 ELECTION CASUALTIES
Since the creation of Kogi state, there have been political evolution from military to democratic era that finally berthed in 1999 with elections into political offices. Despite this, the State has never witnessed the kind of violence that erupted in the last election. The election consumed many innocent souls and others maimed, including the PDP Zonal Woman leader, Salome Achejuh Abuh, who was burnt alive in her house at Ochadamu in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi East Senatorial District by thugs working for the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The brutal killing of those illustrious sons and daughters in a broad day light by evil men working for their political godfathers has shown a damning verdict that the election exercise was short of minimum standard to be acceptable by the citizens.
We therefore, wish to remind Nigerians particularly, the dignitaries including state governors, members of Federal Executive Council, members of the National and State Assemblies, Businessmen/women, community leaders, members of the Diplomatic Corps, etc, who are invited to celebrate the swearing ceremony of Alhaji Yahaya Bello and Chief Edward David Onoja as Governor and Deputy Governor respectively on 27th January, 2020 in a political jamboree, should note that the indigenes of Kogi State are in deep mourning mood over the demise of their loved ones in their attempts to exercise their civic rights during the election.
The deceased lives were terminated to satisfy the ambitions of some individuals in their desperation to perpetuate themselves in that position which they could not manage in the first place.
We urge the august visitors to take pains to look round Lokoja and its environs to see whether anything has happened to the pothole infested roads and physical facilities needed in a state capital such as Lokoja, let alone the dilapidated situations in other towns and villages across the state to warrant their political jamboree at this time in Kogi State.
At this juncture, we wish to state that for the past four years, many Kogi workers died as a result of government’s inability to pay them their entitlements and the only opportunity for them to make up their mind and take a decision to terminate the stay in office of this government, more deaths had come at the time of the statutory decision making opportunities which was the November 16, 2019 governorship election that was marred with government’s brutality to the citizens.
In conclusion, we wish to state categorically that the federal government should institute a high powered judicial panel to investigate the politically motivated violence which took place before, during and after the November 16, 2019 in Kogi State, judging from the outright condemnation of the election by International communities, civil society organizations and other highly placed institutions and individuals across the world.
In addition, we are calling for the outright cancellation of the election as it did not reflect the wishes of the people of Kogi state.
Finally, in view of the dastardly act demonstrated to scuttle peoples opinion in the previous elections, it has become imperative for a holistic electoral reform in Nigeria.
Dr Yakubu Ugwolawo
For the group