Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday cautioned the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, who is the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Kogi State National Campaign Council, to steer clear of the state as the people would not welcome incitements and threats in the November 16 governorship election.
The PDP said in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, where he warned 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 noted that El-Rufai must have realised that whatever his party, the APC, perpetuated in Kaduna State in the 2019 general election can no longer be replayed, not even in Kaduna state or any other state of the federation, let alone Kogi State, with its long-standing history of tough resistance to forceful occupation and control.
Accordingly, the main opposition party said: “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 Bello has gone down in history as the worst governor ever in Nigeria, who cannot point to any developmental project or initiative in governance done by hiss government, 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 to counsel Bello to use the remaining days of his abysmal tenure to show remorse; pay up the 36 months’ arrears he owes workers and pensioners; restitute for those who died because of his suppressive rule, and get ready with his handover notes.”
PDP stated further that 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.
According to PDP, no amount of apologies, intimidations, violence, vote buying and ‘body bag’ metaphor can change their resolve or save Bello from defeat in this election.
