Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State was recently accused of conniving with the police authorities to establish militia for rigging purposes at the forthcoming general election.
Kogi State chapter of Social Democratic Party, SDP, which made the allegation, gave a narrative of recent attacks in Kogi Central allegedly inspired by the militia acting on the governor’s order.
The allegations were refuted as soon as possible by the governor’s spokesman, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, who said it was political.
Acting chairman of SDP in Kogi State said, “I wish to notify the general public that the Kogi State All Progressives Congress, APC, is hell bent on rigging the forthcoming elections in the state, especially in the Central Senatorial district where the governor hails from.
“The state governor has vowed on series of occasions that he will do everything possible for APC to win Kogi Central.
“In his (Bello) words ‘I will shed the last drop of my blood to deliver APC in Kogi Central’. Part of the governor’s plan is to hijack electoral materials to his private residence, cause unrest few days to election and on the day of election through the use of thugs and imported Bakassi militia.
“We also want to draw the attention of security agencies to the breeding of armed militia group in the official residence of a political appointee in the state.
“I say unequivocally that the governor has a military base in his private residence where people that don’t succumb to his political will are kept and tortured.”
Meanwhile, Yahaya Bellos spokesman Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, replied that SDP and her senatorial candidate were only dropping these allegations to merely seek weak public sympathy.
His words, “We don’t breed thugs. Governor Yahaya Bello has expended so much on security. On many occasions he has received awards for it. Today, Kogi is one of the most secured states in the federation following the governor’s high investment in the sector.
“The governor got to power through divine means and not through thuggery. Likewise, he won’t embark on that path of political violence just for election. Governor Bello is a peaceful man.”
