The Kogi State secretariat of the Social Democratic Party in Lokoja has been torched by alleged political thugs, The Punch report.
The secretariat is located directly opposite the Lokoja Local Government Area secretariat on Ibrahim Babangida Way.
An eyewitness told our correspondent that the secretariat was attacked in the early hours of Monday.
The source said the SDP office was earlier attacked on Sunday where windows and doors of the secretariat were shattered, while banners, posters and other campaign materials at the secretariat were destroyed and replaced with the posters of the candidate of the APC, Governor Yahaya Bello.
The eyewitness also noted that Bello’s supporters became angry when SDP supporters were chanting abusive words against the governor on his way to Abuja on Sunday afternoon.
They were said to have mobilised in the early hours of Monday, set fire to the secretariat and razed it.
The SDP governorship candidate, Natasha Akpoti, who visited the secretariat on Monday, accused Bello of being behind the attack.
Akpoti said, “This is not an election, but outright brigandage. This is the handiwork of Bello in collaboration with the Commissioner of Police. This is not acceptable.
“Is the APC national secretariat watching? What is Oshiomhole doing? What is El-Rufai doing? We met in Russia last week and he told me he would be supporting Bello’s re-election. Is this what you are supporting?”
However, the Director General, Media and Publicity to the governor, Kingsley Fanwo, said Akpoti should deal with her issues and leave the governor out of her travails.
Fanwo said, “She is always out for unmerited sympathy. The governor is against violence and has already told security agents to ensure the governorship election is peaceful. He can never be behind that.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Busari, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, said it was “absurd” for anyone to accuse the police of “perpetrating atrocities such as this.”
Busari added, “We are security agents with the responsibility to ensure peaceful election. We got wind of the incident and have ordered investigation into the immediate and remote cause of the ugly incident.”
