Kogi governorship election: Police tackle SDP’s Ajaka

By Richard Elesho

Kogi State Police Command has denied an allegation that it is planning to clamp down on supporters of the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the state 11 November governorship election, Murtala Yakubu Ajaka.

The Police said this while warning the SDP Campaign Organisation to desist from mudslinging ahead of the governorship election in a statement issued by the spokesperson of the Command, SP William Anyah on Monday.

The Police therefore advised the party to focus on an issues-based campaign while and soliciting support from the electorate instead of resorting to cheap blackmail, bullying and arm-twisting for Political sympathy from the public.

However, police added in the statement that Ajaka was under investigation, adding that he has no immunity.

The statement reads: “The attention of the Kogi State Police Command has been drawn to fake, incendiary, perfidious, malicious and misleading allegations making the rounds by one Faruk Adejoh-Audu, Director Communications Murtala Yakubu Ajaka Gubernatorial Campaign Organization to the effect that, the Commissioner of Police Bethrand Onuoha plans an attack on Ajaka Supporters in Kogi LGA

“The Command wishes to emphatically and categorically state that, the statement is not only the figment of the imagination of Faruk Adejoh-Audu and his Political Candidate Yakubu Ajaka who has mastered the art of Political gimmickry and brigandage, but totally false, malicious, pretentious, and highly mischievous. The Commissioner of Police who upon assumption of duty one month ago has so far demonstrated a high level of professionalism by providing a level playing ground for all Political Parties and their Candidates to operate in the State should not be dragged into Politics.

“The SDP Candidate and his Campaign Organization should leave the Police alone and focus on issues-based Campaigns and soliciting support from the electorate instead of resorting to cheap blackmail, bullying and arm-twisting for Political sympathy from the public who already know their tricks, gimmicks and antecedents.

“The entire narrative to injure, assassinate and malign the hard-earned reputation and integrity of the Commissioner of Police is the height of insensitivity, callousness, self-serving and emblematic of desperation, vindictiveness, a Propensity for destructiveness and to salivate the insidious and vaulting Political ambition of a psychopath

“It would be recalled that, on 3rd June, 2023 along Abuja-Lokoja road, the SDP Candidate Murtala Yakubu Ajaka and his supporters blocked and attacked the Convoy of the Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello at Banda some kilometres away from Lokoja.

“During the attack, some of the Governor’s aides sustained varying degrees of injuries. All efforts, invitations, and entreaties to come and give his own side of the incident have come to nought. Yet he has been moving around the nooks and crannies of the state without any molestation even when he has no immunity. The case is still under investigation.

“In a democracy, freedom of expression is a right, but it must be accompanied by responsibility, not to hide under its guise to spin out lies, falsehood, innuendos, and sensationalism. It shows the writer and his sponsors have no decorum, decency, or intellect, and are oblivious to the legal consequences of deformation and assassination of character

“The Commissioner of Police hereby appeals to Murtala Yakubu Ajaka and his Campaign Organization to leave him alone, stop all the negative write-ups and frivolous allegations aimed at undermining the spirited crime-fighting efforts of the Police in Kogi State and whipping up sentiment against them and heating up the State for no just cause.

“And to the good and peace-loving, highly enlightened, politically sophisticated citizens of Kogi State, the Commissioner of Police urges you all to disregard and discountenance such mischievous and malicious information, and to be wary of being hoodwinked by Merchants of violence, but instead gravitate towards issues that unite the State rather than those that divide you, please.”