The Director General of the Kogi State Presidential Campaign Council of the PDP, Architect Yomi Awoniyi is alarmed by the resurgence of fresh attacks on members of the party across the state and particularly the unrestrained attack on PDP chieftains and destruction of their properties by suspected members of the APC in Ofu Local Govt.Area yesterday.
The unprovoked attack which took place in three communities of Ajaka, Ejule and Aloma was masterminded by one David Zachariah, Member, House of Representatives and suspected thugs of the ruling APC as a test run of the pre-election violence aimed at intimidating the unsuspecting members of opposition PDP which is already well positioned to win Kogi State for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 25th February Presidential Election.
The attack on the PDP members and wanton destruction of properties in the three communities give credence to the fear expressed by the PCC in the past that Kogi State be placed on the radder of the security agencies as a black spot in the march towards the Presidential election next month.
The Kogi State Chairman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Committee and former Governor of Kogi State,Alhaji Ibrahim Idris and his counterpart, His Excellency Captain Idris Wada along with Senator Aidoko and other chieftains of the party in Kogi East are indeed troubled by the new development which are clear signs of a jittery party that are intolerant of the imminent failure that is starring them in the face in next month Presidential election.
The chieftains unequivocally condemn this raw act of intimidation and unprovoked attack on members of the PDP,an act which is consider a dress rehearsal of the pre-2019 Governorship election violence where thugs had a field day attacking and killing people across the state without hindrance.
The resurgence of such attack on harmless PDP chieftains yesterday with the destruction of their properties is not only undemocratic but portends grave danger to the electoral process as the David Zachariah led group bracingly brandished their weapons,and with confidence vowed to be waiting for the next elections to unfold their bloodiest arsenal.
Recall that it is the same Ofu LGA that Mrs Salome Abuh,a PDP Woman Leader was locked up in her house and burnt alive by identified thugs of the APC in 2019 election.It is therefore worrisome that we are beginning to record such violence again at the eve of another election in the same LGA.
We are greatly concerned that in all of our previous alarms at such attacks on our party members, security agencies have looked the other way to our consternation.
We again call on state actors,the Inspector General of Police,DG,DSS and other Service Chiefs to take more than a cursory interest in the security situation of a number of LGAs in Kogi State which includes Ofu,Okene and Okehi where we are already recording a dress rehearsal of planned violence to be unleashed on the opposition in the February 25 Presidential election.
This condemnable act of the APC must not be allowed to fester if the opposition is not to resort to self help which may be an invitation to anarchy in the polity prior to the Presidential election.
Signed
Austyn Ochu,Head,
Media Team,KPCC.