SaharaReporters gathered that the shutting down of the PDP office was part of the APC government’s plan to stop Natasha Akpoti’s campaign for senate.
In another move to strangle the opposition political parties in Kogi State, Governor Yahaya Bello of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has shut down the central office of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
SaharaReporters gathered that the shutting down of the PDP office was part of the APC government’s plan to stop Natasha Akpoti’s campaign for senate.
Akpoti ran for the post of senator for Kogi Central Senatorial District under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2019.
In 2019, she was a governorship candidate in the state, challenging Bello. In May, Akpoti won the PDP primary election for the 2023 Kogi Central Senatorial District, to go against the ruling APC’s Abubakar Ohere, among others.
“As a way to clamp down on the opposition, Yahaya Bello shut down PDP’s central office in Kogi to stop Natasha Akpoti’s campaign for Senate. Natasha is from Okene and that is her strong base,” a source privy to the matter told SaharaReporters on Thursday.
Another source confirmed the clampdown, recounting that Bello had publicly warned the opposition that he would give them hell ahead of the elections.
Meanwhile, Bello had in a video published recently vowed that he would ensure his party wins all the elections in the state by whatever means.
In a notification letter personally signed by the Chairman, Okene Local Government Council, Hon. Abdulrazak M. Yusuf, asking the PDP to vacate the office, he cited security as the reason for shutting it down.
Dated October 26, 2022, and with Ref No: OKLG/S/OFF/28011/321, the letter addressed to the PDP chairman in Okene is titled, "Peace and Security Committee Resolution and Ultimatum to P.D.P. to vacate your proposed party secretariat in Okene."
The letter was copied to HRM Alh. Dr. Ado Ibrahim CON, Ohinoyi of Ebiraland; Area Commander, Nigeria Police, Okene; DPO Okene Division; O/C SSS Okene; Commander, FOB, Okene; D.O. NSCDC Okene and O/c SIB Okene.
In the letter, Yusuf stated, "As part of measure to rejig our security architecture, you are by this notice given one (1) week to vacate your proposed party (PDP) secretarial in Okene.
"The decision was informed by what the security committee considered as the proximity of your proposed party secretariat as a threat to some critical infrastructures like; the Ebira Central Mosque and the Council Secretariat which when the political activities heat up it will distort the peaceful activities in this vicinity.
"Let me state emphatically that, the council is not taking this decision as a play to dabble into your party affairs and our action must not be misconstrued as such. Thank you."