SSS in Hot Chase After Kogi Gov’s Aide

Over alleged plans to bomb rerun venue ||  Governor disowns him  ||  The  State  Security  Service (SSS), acting  on  intelligence,   is  currently  in  a hot  chase  after  Mr.  Ogwu  Achemu  a.k.a  Araka,  the  special  assistant  to  Governor  Ibrahim  Idris  of Kogi State on  Youth  Empowerment,  over  an alleged plan  to  bomb  the  venue  of  the   rescheduled  gubernatorial primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

LEADERSHIP  learnt  that  the  aide  has  gone underground.

Security sources told LEADERSHIP yesterday that the SSS uncovered a plot to  bomb  the  Lokoja  stadium  venue  of  the  primaries  and  cause  pandemonium.

The  National  Working  Committee (NWC)  of  the PDP  had  cancelled  the  gubernatorial  primaries  conducted  in  Kogi and  Kano states  following  complaints  of  malpractices  and  ordered  a  fresh  exercise.

There have been media reports that the PDP could challenge – or even defy – the directive of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that fresh primaries would breach the 2010 Electoral Act.

Mr  Jibrin  Isah  Echocho  was  said  to  have  won  the  disputed  gubernatorial  primaries,  but  the  PDP  is  having  sleepless  nights  over  the  fact  that  the  aspirant  was  dismissed  from  Afribank  and  is  currently  in  court  on  a  32-count  charge involving  fraud.

However, Mr. Achemu told LEADERSHIP last night on telephone that he was not on the run and will be in his office at the government house today.

“No. I am not on the run. I went to Abuja and I am just returning now. Tomorrow, I will be at my duty post at the government house, Lokoja,” he said.

When contacted, the director-general, press affairs to the state governor, Mr. Richard Elesho denied the governor’s involvement.

“The governor does not breed thugs . He is a law abiding citizen. He is not running for any political office now and so has no reason to disrupt the PDP primaries.

“This story of thugs invading the state is strange to me and I am not aware of it. The aide of the governor could not have done the dastardly act in the name of the governor.

The  PDP  had  fixed  the  gubernatorial  rerun  election  for  both  Kogi  and  Kano  states  for  tomorrow.

Since  the  conduct  of  the  gubernatorial  primaries  earlier  in  the  month,  lobbyists  for  and  against  the  cancellation  of  the  outcome,  had  thronged  the  national  headquarters  of  the  party  in  Abuja.

Apart from alleging that the exercise was manipulated, critics have also  canvassed that other  ethnic  nationalities  in  the  state should be given  the  opportunity  to  produce  the  party’s  flag-bearer  for  the  April  poll. Igalas have dominated political power.

Yesterday,  the leaders of Kogi West Political Summit also warned that the rest of Kogi state, which controls over 55 percent of the electorate, may decide to take their fate in their own hands if the “marginalisation continues”.

The leaders therefore, called on the party leadership to prevent the impending crisis in the state and go ahead with the rerun as planned to ensure that a candidate from Kogi West emerged.

According to them, “We are loyal party members who believe in the party’s policy of power rotation. While Kogi East has produced leaders since the creation of the state 19 years ago, we insist that power be rotated to the West in the interest of fairness and fair-play.

“Prince  Sola Akanmode is the choice of our people and anything short of his candidacy will split the votes of Kogi state and this will not augur well for the party, as other parties are waiting in the wings for any slip.”

Kogi West, comprising three federal constituencies namely, Kabba-Bunu Ijumu, Kotonkarfi, Yagba also has prominent political leaders which include Major General David Jemibewon (Retd), two-time military governor and senator, Chief Tunde Ogbeha, former deputy governor in the state, Chief Samuel Akande ,as well as former Attorney–General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN).

-Leadership

Short URL: http://newnigerianpolitics.com/?p=3016

Posted by admin on Jan 27 2011. Filed under Kogi, State News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry