The spokesperson of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Kogi State, Faruk Audu-Adejoh has narrated how his principal was attacked on at a spot near Lokoja.
Audu-Adejoh accused Governor Yahaya Bello of being responsible for the recent attack on the convoy of his principal in Lokoja.
Audu-Adejoh revealed this when he appeared on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Monday night.
After the encounter, Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement alleged that Governor Yahaya Bello’s convoy was blocked and attacked by gunmen he suspected were supporters of Ajaka near the Naval base, a few kilometres from Lokoja.
But Audu-Adejoh debunked the allegation, saying that was not what happened.
“It was an orchestrated attack. The incident happened around 12.40 pm. We didn’t block the road. The truth of the matter was that things happened very quickly. And as the time we discovered what was going on, the road has been blocked while some gunmen opened fire on the car of our candidate (SDP), Alhaji Murtala Ajaka.
“At a point, two outriders on power bikes came past. I wasn’t in the car of the candidate but in another car. Those of us who were behind were hearing the sirens but it wasn’t like a convoy per se. The candidate was on his way from Abuja and only stop to pay homage to a first-class traditional ruler, the Attah Igala in Idah.
“Now after we left, a lot of people most of who we didn’t know including motorbike riders followed the convoy. Some other people on the bridge turned and followed us. At a point, the convoy got extended even beyond our own control. Before we got to Lokoja, there was a place called ‘the banda’ (sic). That is where you have the naval base.
“The car (Ajaka) also stopped to greet some people. One of them is a commissioner in Yahaya Bello’s government. His name is Bashir Gegu. You remembered I told you he just left the APC?
“Gebu was in a pick-up (hilux) and another pick-up came and crossed the road. The next thing we heard was gunshots. They started shooting. There was panic everywhere. Some people even jumped out of their cars. But the obvious target was the car of our principal.
“The only thing that saved him was that the car was an armoured car. The bullets that rained on the car didn’t penetrate. But not every other person was as lucky as he was. It was an orchestrated attack. A senior advocate of Nigeria, Shuaibu Aruwa, was affected. His own car was penetrated.”
The SDP spokesman said only President Bola Tinubu can call Bello to order.
Audu-Adejoh said Bello became too powerful because former President Muhammadu Buhari (retd), never intervened in any reported violence in the state.
He said, “It is a very simple thing. We have a new president and new federal government unlike in the last eight years where several people have been killed and nothing ever happened. So that courage and confidence that I can always get away with whatever I do since the president is from my party is there.
“If the new government sends out a strong signal that ‘Look, we are democrats. We’re not going to allow the blood of people (be spilled) in the name of election, I think it will cease.”
