Kogi Decides: Tension over fear of violence

There is palpable tension in Kogi State over fear of electoral violence as citizens prepare to elect the next Governor on Saturday.

Investigations revealed that there is uneasy calm across the State as people appear to be apprehensive due to violence that attended previous exercises.

However, to curtail the level of insecurity trailing the Saturday poll, security operatives have been massively deployed in the state to maintain law and order and protect voters who are expected to troop out to the over 3,500 polling units in the state to perform their franchise without intimidation.

Our correspondent in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, observed that personnel from the various security agencies have arrived and are being deployed to the nook and crannies of the state to allow for a peaceful poll.

The candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Ahmed Ododo, and his Social Democratic Party (SDP) counterpart, Yakubu Murtala Ajaka, welcomed the massive deployment of security personnel in Kogi State ahead of the Governorship poll.

Ododo assured voters of protection and urged them to go out and cast their ballot without intimidation.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Kogi State and member of the Ododo gubernatorial campaign council, Mohammed Onogwu,  who spoke on behalf of Ododo said: “We have told our people that the presence of security is to give them that confidence of security that they will be free to go and cast their vote for whoever they want.

“But on our own side, going by the campaign we have done so far and the achievements of the current administration of Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello.

“The people of Kogi State are willing to elect Usman Ododo to continue with what the incumbent Governor has done.

“So the people are yearning for continuity and that is what we are going to affirm on the 11th of November 2023 during the poll.”

On his part, Ajaka, speaking through his spokesman, Faruk Adejo said: “We are excited. We want them to bring more (security personnel). We want peace and free and fair elections in the state.”

However, in a statement on Friday morning, Adejoh said the Ajaka’s campaign team has ceased campaigns in line with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines and therefore disowned any message or campaign adverts that may purposely be issued by his team after the expiration of campaign exercises.

The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) overseeing Saturday’s governorship election in Kogi State, Habu Sani, told reporters in Lokoja that the 40,000 police personnel deployed to the state was proportionate to the threat levels.

He insisted that the security personnel so far deployed are enough to handle the fears in some quarters over possible violence and disruptions during the exercise.

According to him, about 90 per cent of personnel deployed for the election have arrived the state.

He said those not yet on ground are either on transit or will take off on Friday to arrive early enough for the election.

He said that all the 3,500 polling units in the state would be adequately covered adding that no room would be given to anyone who might want to disrupt the election on Saturday.

“Our deployment is proportionate to the threat levels identified before election.

“Forty thousand personnel and officers have been mobilised to neutralise any untoward happening before, during and after the election,” Sani said

Sani also said there would be restriction of movement on the election day and only those on essential duties would be allowed to move after they have been issued with tags.

He called on members of the public who might have useful information to contact the police control room whose number and that of the officers in charge of each zone would be circulated.

There are fears of low turnout on Saturday due to the level of violence that had attended the campaigns for the election.

The Social Democratic Party candidate, Muritala Ajaka, had accused the state government and the police for backing attacks on its campaign, an allegation both the police and the APC-led government had denied.

At least two deaths had been confirmed and the police themselves have confirmed gunning down several political thugs who attempted a gun battle with security agencies ahead of the elections.