Barely three days after Natasha Akpoti, Social Democratic Party (SDP) standard bearer of the November 16 gubernatorial election won the case in court, the party’s secretariat located close to the All Progressives Congress (APC) state secretariat opposite Lokoja Local Government secretariat along Murtala Way has been vandalised and razed down by unknown hoodlums. Eyewitness account has it that the incident happened in the early hours of Monday, November 11.
The attack has raised the tension and apprehension level in the state a matter of days to the election.
Mouktar Atima, the party’s state chairman, while confirming the incident, accused the ruling party, saying that the party released its thugs to unleash terror on their secretariat.
Atima said the development was a confirmation of the several threats received recently by the party’s candidate, Natasha Akpoti.
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He said however, that no amount of harassment and destruction would deter the party and its governorship candidate from contesting and winning the Saturday, November 16, election, adding that they remain undaunted. He appealed to party faithful not to be discouraged over the recent development.
In his reaction, however, Kingsley Fanwo, APC campaign council spokesman, dispelled the allegation that the hoodlums that burnt down the SDP secretariat were sponsored by the ruling party.
According to him, the party and its candidate are
currently busy campaigning across the state and “has no time for irrelevant issues.”
When BusinessDay contacted Hakeem Busari, state police Commissioner, he said the police were aware of the destruction and have commenced investigation to bring the culprits to book.
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