The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign Council in Kogi has called on the general public to hold the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the state responsible if anything untoward happens to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) office in Lokoja.
The APC campaign council also called on security agencies to fortify security around INEC offices, given the alarm raised by the SDP.
Mr Kingsley Fanwo, the Director of Media and Publicity/Spokesperson for the APC campaign council, made the calls in a statement issued in Lokoja on Sunday night.
The SDP had, in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director General, New Media, MuriSam Campaign Council, Mr Isaiah Ijele, claimed that it had uncovered plans to burn down INEC office in Kogi.
Ijele alleged: “It has come to our notice via grave vines that there is an urgent need for security to be beefed around the Kogi INEC office in order to avert the sinister plot to burn down the office by mandate bandits.”
But the APC campaign council said the party was convinced that the false alarm raised by the SDP over a purported planned attack on the INEC office was to cover up the party’s sinister motive of torching the INEC office and turning around to blame it on the APC.
Fanwo said: “As they know they have no evidence to substantiate their characteristic lies about the credibility of the Kogi State Governorship Poll that has been adjudged as the best in the democratic history of our dear state.
“Their clandestine move to cover up their propaganda-fuelled claims about the election is well documented as we call on security agencies to fortify security around the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission across the state.
“No amount of propaganda can help their baseless, senseless, unsubstantiated claims after their scorecard at the poll was at complete variance with their boastful pre-election posture.
“They have resorted to attacking INEC and everyone except themselves. Such is the sorry state of a party and its candidate who lack the political pedigree to challenge the politically rooted APC in Kogi.
“Despite their intimidation and blood-letting rampage in some parts of the state, INEC conducted a credible, free and fair election and the security agencies also ensured that the votes of the people counted.
“We commend Kogi residents for standing up to ethnic bigots by responding resoundingly with votes that reflected our unity as a people.”
According to him, no one is afraid of the legal challenge of the SDP ”since they failed to win the election and failed to disunite our state and our people”.
