SDP writes President Tinubu, accuses Gov. Yahaya Bello of sponsoring violence

By Thompson Yamput

The Kogi chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has accused Governor Yahaya Bello of frustrating its efforts to campaign for votes, across the state, ahead of the Nov.11 governorship election.

Mr Isaiah Ijele, the Director General of New Media for Muri/Sam Campaign Council, made the accusation on Sunday.

In a statement addressed to President Bola Tinubu, the opposition party urged the president to call Yahaya Bello to order.

“We want Mr President, the National Assembly, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, the Chief of Army Staff and all the security agencies including the Minister of Defense to call Gov. Yahaya Bello to order.

“SDP wants a Kogi that is peaceful. We want to be able to sell our candidate to the people of Kogi like we’ve been doing and we also challenge him to sell his candidate to the people and not to procure violence, not to cause crises or conflict in Kogi.

“We want a free, fair and transparent election, we want a level playing field, that is all we are asking for.

“Our candidate, Muri is is ready, Muri is committed to his campaign, Muri is on ground and we the SDP are on ground and by the grace of God we shall win the Nov. 11 election resoundingly,” he said.

Ijele added: “We want the media and the whole world to understand that Yahaya Bello’s team has lost followership and they are desperate.

“We want the world to understand that in spite of the harassment and intimidation, the SDP candidate who’s on ground, who’s mobilizing across the three senatorial zones of Kogi is un-cowed and the people are resolute.

“The system by the governor to use conflict, crises and violence to cause voters apathy will not work by God’s grace. ”

Reacting, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, the State’ Commissioner for Information, dismissed the allegations, saying that the state government had given every political party a level playing ground to operate and campaign across the state.

Fanwo said that the SDP candidate had been going round on his electioneering campaign without molestation particularly in Okene the home town of the governor.