The Campaign Secretariat of Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate for the governorship race in Kogi State, was targeted by suspected hoodlums in a vandalization incident on Sunday morning.
The glass frontage of the secretariat, located near Paparanda junction in Lokoja, was vandalized, and banners featuring President Bola Tinubu were torn down and set on fire in front of the office.
Initially, the campaign secretariat was opened in January for Ahmed Bola Tinubu during the presidential race when Muritala Yakubu Ajaka served as the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC). However, Ajaka later defected to the SDP after failing to secure the APC’s governorship ticket.
Chief Sam Abenemi, the running mate to the SDP candidate, expressed his disappointment over the attack and described it as unfortunate. He revealed that hoodlums had approached the security personnel at the campaign secretariat the previous week, demanding the removal of billboards and banners featuring Asiwaju Tinubu/Shettima.
Abenemi emphasized that Muritala Ajaka holds Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in high regard and sees him as a political mentor. Ajaka had worked tirelessly to ensure Tinubu’s victory in the state during the presidential race, demonstrating his belief in Tinubu’s ability to lead Nigeria forward.
Despite the incident, Ajaka and the Kogi State SDP remain staunch supporters of President Tinubu’s administration and will continue to pray for his success. Abenemi urged their supporters to remain calm and resilient in the face of provocation, asserting that they are confident in their prospects of winning the upcoming November governorship election, which might be the reason for the intimidation they are facing.
Abenemi appealed to the security authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. The Kogi Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, confirmed the incident but stated that no arrests had been made yet. The police are actively investigating the vandalism of the SDP campaign secretariat.