Kogi Election: SDP Gubernatorial Candidate Accused Of Blackmailing Security Agencies

Lawyers and activists are calling on authorities to curb politicians exploiting security agencies for personal gain, with a focus on the Social Democratic Party (SDP) gubernatorial candidate in Kogi State.

Lawyers and activists came together to address President Bola Tinubu and relevant authorities, urging them to take action against unscrupulous politicians who are manipulating Nigeria’s security agencies for their own self-serving and malicious purposes.

They emphasized the need to rein in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its gubernatorial candidate in Kogi State.

This collective of activists, operating under the banner of Lawyers and Activists for Good Governance, stressed their longstanding commitment to fighting against poor governance, spanning over 16 years.

They appealed to the country’s security leaders to caution and appropriately handle politicians who persist in involving security agencies in the murky realm of politics through unjustified and continuous attempts to compromise them via blackmail.

These good governance advocates, numbering around 500 from across Nigeria, represented by stakeholders from various geopolitical zones, convened for a press conference in Abuja.

They stressed the utmost importance of taking immediate action to ensure violence-free and crisis-free elections, particularly in Kogi State.

Their allegations were squarely aimed at the SDP and its candidate, Muritala Yakubu, whom they accused of intentionally blackmailing both the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to hinder them from carrying out their constitutionally mandated duties of safeguarding lives and property and curbing criminal activities.

According to the activists, this issue first came to their attention in July when it initially surfaced.

Comrade Mohammed Sanni, a Co-Convener of Lawyers and Activists for Good Governance, took the floor during the press conference. He pointed to a recent press release by the SDP in which the party expressed a vote of no confidence in the state’s security agencies and alleged that they were planning to arrest some of their members.

Sanni contended that the SDP candidate had an ongoing history of conflicts with every Police Commissioner assigned to Kogi State and should be subjected to a thorough investigation.

He stated, “We find it regrettable and irresponsible that the Social Democratic Party’s recent press release amounted to an attempt to blackmail the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) for executing their constitutionally mandated duties of providing security for politicians and voters alike.”

The SDP’s claims, as per the release, included a vote of no confidence in the leadership of the state’s police and DSS and a call for their removal. The party alleged that these security agencies were planning to arrest some of their members.

Sanni posed a logical question, “If those individuals have committed offences that warrant investigation, why shouldn’t they be invited or arrested as the situation demands?”

He pointed out that the state’s Police Commissioner had previously stated that all invitations extended to Mr. Muritala Ajaka, the SDP’s gubernatorial candidate, for peace meetings with other candidates or to address numerous allegations of violent behaviour by him and his supporters went unanswered.

Sanni clarified that ignoring police invitations is, by its nature, a criminal act unless one has constitutional immunity.

He emphasized that no one is above the law, especially considering that Mr. Ajaka has no constitutional immunity and, therefore, cannot treat security agencies with disdain while simultaneously attempting to blackmail them and obstruct their lawful duties.

Sanni states “that their concerns were not a personal attack against Mr. Ajaka or his party. However, they found it unacceptable and deplorable for any candidate to act as if they were exempt from the law.

“With 18 political parties participating in the Kogi election, it was unjust for any single candidate to hold the state hostage for their own selfish political ambitions.

“Out of these 18 candidates, it seemed that Mr. Ajaka was the only one consistently clashing with security agents across the board.”

Sanni noted that despite his refusal to honour police invitations, the police and DSS hadn’t declared him wanted, which indicated impartiality on their part.

“This behaviour was considered dangerous as it could potentially incite citizens against the security agencies and lead to avoidable chaos that might jeopardize the upcoming election, which appeared to be the nefarious objective of these desperate politicians,” Sanni stated.

The activists reiterated their support for the police and DSS for their dedicated efforts in securing Kogi State.

They urged these agencies to remain undeterred and focused on ensuring a peaceful election on November 11 by keeping a check on anyone posing a threat to the upcoming election.

They implored the security agencies not to yield to baseless blackmail but to continue carrying out their duties professionally and patriotically.