With only 24 hours left before its scheduled presidential mega rally on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, in Lokoja, the Governor Yahaya Bello-led All Progressive Congress government denied the Kogi State Labour Party entrance to the Confluence Stadium.
Suleiman AbdulAhmed, the party’s Kogi State Chairman, spoke to journalists on Monday and branded the Kogi State government’s actions as wicked and anti-democratic. He also mentioned that Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate, was scheduled to campaign in Lokoja on Tuesday.
Ahmed emphasised that the party had repeatedly written to the Kogi State administration, only to have their requests rejected right before their principal’s arrival.
According to him, despite the frustration from the state government, the party remains resolute to ensure that the campaign holds as planned.
Ahmed stressed that Labour Party is out to salvage the people from the shackles of poverty and maladministration of the present APC Government.
While admonishing supporters of the party not to be deterred by the recent development, Ahmed lamented on the massive destruction of the Labour Party billboard by suspected thugs loyal to the ruling APC in Kogi State.
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Explaining further, Ahmed said, “If they had denied them the opportunity of using that stadium to the campaign, I am not sure they would be in office today. The truth is that some people put up characters that are strange. You go to so many states, you will find campaign billboards and posters. In Kogi State, there is a law, just for you to erect a campaign billboard, you must pay heavily.
“The reason the Government put in these policies is to ensure that credible Candidates do not win elections, and that will not work. The people are tired of the bad leadership of the All Progressive Congress in Kogi State and Nigeria in general.
“So denying people the ability to use facilities is not the way out. The People will surely vote for candidates that are credible.
“Nobody has a monopoly on violence. We are obedient. No matter what happens, the campaign will be held tomorrow. Even though it is inside the forest. Money has never been the problem. They made several efforts to discourage us. They even tripled the stadium money just to frustrate us from using the facilities. They are doing this deliberately at the eleventh hour so that the campaign will not hold. The people in charge of the stadium said the order came from the top for us not to have access to use the stadium.”
The Chairman, however, debunked media reports that there is a faction in the Labour Party, adding that they are becoming stronger on a daily basis to take over leadership in Nigeria.
“Mischief makers are scared of the rising political profile of the Labour Party in Kogi State, so they are eager to see how they can divide the party. We also know that there are people who are paid by the incumbent.
“People who have ruled this State and ruined it. People for so many years have not been paying salaries. Even when they try to pay, they will pay it in percentages. People have also made up their minds that the State should go into retrogression, instead of progress. They already know that the people will reject them at the poll, all that is paramount to them is to cause disunity in the party,” he added.
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