Presidential/NASS elections: Voting commences in Kogi Central senatorial zone, despite Gov. Bello’s roadblock
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reached the Kogi Central senatorial Zone despite the decision of the State Governor, Yahaya Bello to commence obstruction on four major roads leading into the district barely 48 hours to the Presidential and National Assembly poll.
Governor Bello of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is at the centre of an unpopular decision to commence road destabilisatiion barely hours to the February 25 general election, a move viewed by the main opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its senatorial candidate, Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as politically-motivated.
It would be recalled that barely two days to the 2023 general elections, the Nigeria Police, last Thursday arrested workers of China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) engaged by the Kogi State government to cut off the roads leading to the Central Senatorial Zone and prevent INEC officials and other stakeholders from accessing the district.
According to the workers; Mr. Ismail Abdulganiyu and Sheidu Amoto who were arrested by the police while digging pits in major access roads to Okehi local government area, they stated that they were commissioned by the council Chairman, Hon. Abdulraheem Ohiare and instructed to carry out the assignment by one Mr. Toni, the project manager of the company in Kogi State.
Upon interrogation, Ismail confessed that he is a staff of CCECC construction firm while Sheidu said he is a staff of Kogi State Ministry of Works; admitting to the collaboration between CCECC construction firm and Kogi State Ministry of Works to block access roads in Kogi Central ahead of the February 25, 2023 general elections.
The construction firm has already dug massive pits on four major access roads into Okehi local government area of the state.
Under the order of the Kogi Government, four other local government areas in Kogi Central will undergo the same works to stop INEC officials from accessing the senatorial district and stall the impending defeat of APC candidates at the polls.
Meanwhile, the Kogi Government, Thursday, clarified the excavation of some roads in Kogi Central, saying it is a deliberate security measure to cut off traffic on those roads with a view to restricting the use of the roads by criminals who had been breaching the peace of the area with attendant loss of lives and property.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, the State Government drew the attention of the public to an explosion that rocked the Okehi Local Government Secretariat Complex a few days ago, as well as the Okene blast of December 29, 2022, during President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the State.
According to him, the security agencies ensured no life was lost as a result of the recent explosion, but the State Government convened an emergency Security Council Meeting to address the security challenges in the area with a view to devising strategies of averting possible future occurrence, especially as the State witnessed a similar explosion on December 29, 2022 at Okene.
“One of the measures arrived at was to restrict the number of routes to the flashpoints to enable security agents properly mount effective surveillance on the other access roads for the safety of the people, especially as they go to the polls on Saturday February 25, 2023. We thank the State Ministry of Works and Urban Development for their proactive efforts on the road,” he stated.
Fanwo further wondered if the outburst of a Senatorial Candidate of the PDP, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, could be taken to mean that she was benefiting from the seeming insecurity in Kogi Central, noting specifically that as an indigene of Okehi Local Government Area, she had not considered it expedient till now to sympathise with the people over the recent explosion.
“To her, their lives do not matter. But she was quick to characteristically blackmail the State Government when measures were taken to protect her people.”
“Some of the masterminds of the Okene blast of December 29, 2022 have been arrested and they are giving useful statements to security agents. With the current measures in Okehi Local Government, we are confident that the cowards who attacked the symbol of unity of the Okehi people will not escape from justice”.
“Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan should recognise the fact that the administration of Alhaji Yahaya Bello will never slaughter security on the slab of politics and will ruthlessly deal with criminal elements and their sponsors whose hearts are not immersed in the culture of peace of the Ebira Nation,” the statement read.
