Press Statement
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counsels Kaduna State Governor, Nasir
el-Rufai, as Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Kogi state
National Campaign Council, to steer clear of the state as the people
abhor incitements and threats in the November 16 governorship election.
The PDP cautions that the people of Kogi state are already aware of
individuals in the APC known for issuing threats as well as the “body
bag” metaphor and will never allow such incitements to pervade the
November election.
The PDP says Governor el-Rufai must have realized that whatever his
party, the APC, perpetuated in Kaduna state in the 2019 general
elections can no longer be replayed, not even in Kaduna state or any
other state of the federation, not to talk of Kogi state, with its long
standing history of tough resistance to forceful occupation and control.
Governor el-Rufai therefore should not bother to lead a failed team of
an expansionist force into a lost battle. He should rather use the
opportunity to counsel Governor Yahaya Bello to accept his rejection by
the people of Kogi state and be ready to face the burden of a crushing
defeat on November 16.
The APC knows that Governor Bello has gone down in history as the worst
governor ever in Nigeria; who cannot point to any development project or
initiative in governance and under whom a once vibrant and productive
state has been reduced to the poorest and most dejected in our country.
If the APC means well for Kogi state, the party should not be wasting
its time to campaign but rather counsel Yahaya Bello to use the
remaining days of his abysmal tenure to show remorse, pay up the 36
month arrears he owes workers and pensioners, restitute for those who
died because of his suppressive rule and get ready with his handover
notes.
The APC Campaign Council should come to terms with the fact that the
people of Kogi state had made up their minds to repay Yahaya Bello in
his own coin by kicking him out of office.
Therefore, no amount of apologies, intimidations, violence, vote buying
and “body bag” metaphor can change their resolve or save Governor Bello
from defeat in this election.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary
