Politics
Attack on Kogi SDP guber Candidate: SDP campaign council urges President Tinubu to call Bello to order

***Kingsley Fanwo, alleges attack on Bello’s convoy
The Alhaji Muritala Yakubu campaign organization has appealed to the new President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to demonstrate that his administration will not permit brigandage and totalitarianism by calling the Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello to order.
Director of Communication of the organization Faruk Adejoh-Audu alleged that the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka on Saturday afternoon escaped assassination when his motorcade was attacked by gunmen personally led by the Governor of Kogi State Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
He said, election is still five months away, but if Mr Bello does not get a strong signal that violence would not be allowed in the new Tinubu administration several of Kogi citizens will be killed by his thugs and gunmen before the polls.
This was coming just as the Kogi Government also claimed that the convoy of Gov. Yahaya Bello was attacked by gunmen, along the Abuja-Lokoja highway.
The Kogi Commissioner for Information, Mr Kingsley Fanwo who made the disclosure in a statement in Lokoja said the attack took place near a Naval Base, few kilometers away from Lokoja, the state capital.
Adejoh-Audu had claimed that Alhaji Ajaka and some vehicles accompanying him were approaching Lokoja at the vicinity of the ram market at about 300pm when two powerbikes and Toyota Hilux overtook his car and forced it to a stop.
The assault he said was heralded by a Mercrdes Benz Limousine with Bellos official crest accompanied by an open pick-up van loaded with masked and hooded men bearing AK 47 Assault Rifles.
“The men jumped down and began shooting at Ajaka’s car and all other cars in the motorcade. They shot for over 5 minutes at Ajaka’s bullet proof car unprovoked.
“All this were happening while Bello’s car was parked a few meters in front and was used to barricade the road while the gun men had a field day.
“When they ceased, Ajaka’s car, a Lexus SUV though a bullet proof was totally damaged and demobilised.
The Director explained further that among the gunmen is one Friday Makama a notorious thug and a former member of the House of Assembly who recently appointed Director General for Fireams Recovery by Mr Bello. Also identified among the hoodlums accompanying the governor is one Bashir Gegu the commissioner for Solid Minerals who has a gross reputation for thuggery.
According to him, Ajaka who was on his way to keep an appointment with the Mai Geri, The first class traditional ruler of Lokoja and The Attah Igala in Idah decided to abort the journey and return to Abuja after conferring with the Commander of the Lokoja Naval Base.
This again he said is another low scored by Mr Yahaya Bello in the exercise of crude power and brute force.
“Bello is on record to have unleashed guns and gunmen on several citizens in the course of his Eight years draconian rule. Several persons have been killed by his hoodlums during electioneering while others are missing .
“Ajaka until recently was a member of the APC who was forced out of the governorship nomination by Mr Yahaya Bello who used minions and proxies to obtain an injunction from a Lokoja High Court restraining him from participating in the primaries.
“The brute action today is obviously in a continuation of Bello’s desperation to stop Yakubu from continuing in the election.
Continuing, Fanwo alleged that the gunmen were political thugs of an opposition political party in the state, the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The commissioner said the incident which occured at about 12.30 p.m., left several people including security aides injured and taken to the hospital for medical attention.
“The gunmen suspected to be political thugs of the SDP, having sighted the convoy of Bello approaching, blocked the road and started shooting at the convoy.
“A Tundra branded with the logo and flags of the party also blocked the governor’s vehicle and the occupants were armed with rifles and short guns. .
“But thank God our governor left the scene unscathed and there is no cause for panic.
“Some security aides and other aides attached to the governor sustained some degrees of injuries and have been rushed to medical facilities for attention.
“We urge the people of Kogi to remain calm as security agents are in full control to ensure the arrest of the hoodlums behind the attack, ” he said.
Fanwo said the state government would not allow any breakdown of law and order but would do all it could to bring the attackers to justice.
According to him, the governor has warned that no APC member should get involved in any reprisal attack as insecurity from any quarter will be met with stiff penalties.
A Media Aide to the SDP Governorship Candidate, Mr Kunle Afolayo, denied the allegations saying: “it was the other way round because it was his political thugs that attacked us.”
“Is it possible for an opposition political party to attack a governor just like that?
“We were on our way to the Palace of Maigari in Lokoja from Koton Karfe this afternoon, when the governor’s convoy, heading to Lokoja from Abuja, met us on the way and launched an attack on us just like that.
“God knows the truth. It’s unfortunate that APC administration in Kogi is using government might against us and to lie against us for a crime they committed against us, ” the media aide said .
Politics
Group tells NNPP to Stop intimidating judges, prepare for another election in 4 years

A group under the aegis of Stand Up Nigeria (SUN) has asked the leadership of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the sacked government of Kano state to prepare for another election in the next four years instead of intimidating the judiciary.
It made the called on Saturday at a press conference in Abuja, following the recent attacks on the judiciary before and after the verdict by the Tribunal sacking Governor Abba Yusuf in Kano state.
National Coordinator of the group, Patriot Sunday Attah applauded the Honourable Justices of the Kano State Governorship election petition tribunal who delivered what he described as “a bold and sound judgement that sacked Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf and declared Dr. Nasir Gawuna as the elected Governor of Kano State.”
The group made up of patriotic Nigerian youths across political parties and ethnic groups who believe in peaceful co-existence, rule of law and institutional governance.
According to Attah, the judgement serves as deterrent to politicians who float electoral laws and make elections do or die affair. We had warn politicians severally to discourage their supporters from rigging and violence during elections as democracy is the government of the people by the people for the people.
He said: “You don’t have to intimidate the judiciary or cause war because you loose an election. The tenure is four years after which a fresh elections would be conducted.
“You may prepare yourself to contest again instead of sponsoring people to blackmail highly respected Justices of the election petition tribunal and intimidate the Appeal Court Judges all in a bid to reverse a sound judgement already delivered.
“We understand that, Kano has an International market which makes it a home to all Nigerians irrespective of religion and tribe. Kano indigenes are also scattered in other States of the Federation without fear of molestation. No one has monopoly of violence.
“The Judges must be encourage and supported by all Nigerians as they deliver more critical judgements that would strengthen our democracy.
“The NNPP and it’s government must come out openly to retract its violent threat being issued by its supporters including a Commissioner under Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf.
“Here is a man ordinarily referred to as Honourable Commissioner, so, where is the Honourable? . It shows how deep the NNPP must have gone in term of intimidation of judicial officers in secret before it was made public.
“We believe that the intimidation and threat being mounted are targeted towards the Apeal Court judges in order to bully them.
“We urged our Honourable Justices of the Appeal Court to to scumble to their antic but always stand on the part of justice. We have offered to stand by the judiciary and help protect the institution once it continue to maintains the part of justice.”
While recalling similar judgement in the case of Edo State election petition tribunal tat nullified the election of Senator Osunbor of the Peoples Democratic Party and declared Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria, winner, Attah said: “We condenm the leadership of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP who have being threatening the judges and general peace of Kano State using its supporters, to understand that, trying to intimidate the judiciary in order to force the Judges to their side would amount to miscarriage of justice.”
The group thanked President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing enabling environment for the judiciary to operate without interference.p2
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Politics
1,000 PDP Members Join APC In Bassa As Adakeke lauds Bello

By Ishaq Dan-Imam, Lokoja
A Frontline member of PDP in Bassa local government area of Kogi state, from Kpata Ward, Alhaji Alhassan Seidu Agbem, an Abuja-based business man and philanthropist, has led 1,000 PDP members and followers to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the area.
The philanthropist, a top notcher of the PDP in Bassa local government area, Seidu Agbem, announced the defection of over 1,000 members and supporters of the PDP to APC at a defection ceremony held at Gboloko, under the influence of Hon. Alhassan Salisu Adakeke.
I what seemed like a last-minute drive for a sweeping electoral victory there an aggressive mobilization of PDP members in Bassa local government for the APC.
Agbem, disclosed that he was moving into APC to complement the campaign efforts of Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello who in his words, “runs a youth inclusive government with gender sensitive policy direction.
Agbem said Governor Bello’s effort at promotion of youth inclusiveness and enhanced women participation in governance was commendable and should be encouraged for sustainability, progress and development.
The maverick politician said he and his supporters were desirous of APC victory and ready to put in all resources to insure victory for the APC.
Receiving the defectors, the Bassa local government party chairman of APC, Hon. Abdulmumin Umar, expressed happiness on the decision of the PDP members to join the APC. Abdulmumin said the APC as a party was opened to all Nigerians as every citizen is free to come into the party with hope and higher prospect of achieving self-esteem, personal development, Community transformation as well as prosperity and good governance. Umar said the decampees now have equal rights and opportunities in political participation in all the activities of the party.
In his contribution, the Special adviser to the Governor on Primary health care services, Hon. Adakeke, commended the wisdom of the defectors he described as game changers and influencers whose political movement to APC means a lot to the APC family in Bassa and the state at large.
He added that the defectors had swiftly collapsed the PDP structure into the winning structure of the APC. He also commended the decampees for appreciating and associating with the good work of governor Bello in the state.
He appealed to the youth of Bassa LGA and Kogi state to key into the development agenda for a consolidated democracy in the state.
The special adviser further indicated that APC had won the presidential, national assembly and state house of assembly elections on a clean slate and is obviously prepared to win the November 11 Governorship elections with convincing victory.
Politics
Ododo/Oyibo campaign in harvest of decampees as NNPP reps candidate, Amanabo Joins APC with Supporters

****collapses structure for APC
Ahead of the November 11th, 2023 governorship election in Kogi State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has recieved thousands of decampees from the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP).
The House of Representatives candidate of the NNPP for Ofu/Idah, Igalamela-Odolu/Ibaji Federal Constituency of Kogi State, Egbunu Yusuf Amanabo dumped the party along with supporters to join the ruling APC

Speaking shortly after a closed door meeting with Governor Yahaya Bello and the deputy Governorship Candidate of the APC, Joel Oyibo indicated that he will collapse all his structure in the four Local Governmemt of Ofu, Idah, Igalamela-Odolu and Ibaji for the Ododo/Oyibo campaign organization.
“I have collapsed my structure all through the four Local Government Councils that make up the Federal Constituency to support the APC candidate and his running mate.

Amanabo who also met with the State APC chairman honorable Abdullahi Bello and Women Leader Hajia Hauwa, said, he has officially joined the APC to propel the campaign for the victory of Ododo/Oyibo ticket.
He expressed his admiration for Governor Bello and his style of leadership that is devoid of tribalism and commitment to all inclusive governance and unity of the State.

“From my view, Bello is a dogged leader who is not tribalistic but carries everybody along.
“Flowing from Bello’s open door policy in governance and all inclusive government the APC is poised to winning the next election in November.”
Amanabo indicated that he had been in the opposition for almost a decade adding that each time he deployed personal resources for his campaigns and mobilization.
He added that it is time for him to play the mainstream politics.

He also expressed fulfillment that the APC is not just a ruling party this time around but with a President like Bola Tinubu who has the knack for developments, saying that soon Nigeria will reach its eldorado.
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