UDAMA IGALA Association, sociocultural group representing the Igala-speaking community in Kogi State, has strongly urged Governor Yahaya Bello to halt the ongoing political violence in Kogi East and other parts of the state ahead of the November 11th Gubernatorial election.
In a PRESS conference held in Abuja, Mr. K Paul, the Chairman of the group, condemned Governor Bello’s alleged involvement in sponsoring attacks on opposition, particularly supporters of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), in an attempt to impose his chosen candidate, Ahmed Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The group accused Governor Bello of deploying Senator Echocho, Dekina Local Government Chairman, Prince Ishaq, and a notorious figure identified as Makama, alongside other APC thugs, to carry out attacks on SDP’s supporters.
They stated that these attacks have occurred on numerous occasions, resulting in the loss of innocent lives and significant property damage.
UDAMA IGALA Association emphasized that elections should not be marred by violence and called on Governor Bello to demonstrate his candidate’s popularity through the electoral process.
They raised concerns that Bello’s approach seemed more geared towards violence, referencing similar tactics employed during the 2019 election.
Furthermore, the group made an appeal to President Ahmed Bola Asiwaju Tinubu to intervene and either advise Governor Yahaya Bello to cease the violence or declare a state of emergency in Kogi State.
They stressed that no political office is worth the loss of lives, especially in the context of the Kogi gubernatorial election.
Additionally, UDAMA IGALA Association warned that if their demands were not addressed, they would consider reaching out to international communities to expose what they described as ethnic cleansing and carnage occurring discreetly in Kogi East.
They referenced the tragic deaths of Mrs. Salome in Ochadu, Ofu LGA, and Mr. Daniel in Anyigba during the 2019 election, attributing them to Governor Bello’s alleged political violence.
UDAMA IGALA Association is a representative body of Igala-speaking people in Kogi State, both within the state and in the diaspora.
