TheCable

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi have traded words over an alleged plot to burn down the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state.

On Sunday, Isaiah Ijele, a director in the SDP governorship campaign council, said security should be beefed up around the INEC office in Lokoja because there is a plan to burn it down.

“We are calling on the relevant security formations to swing into action to prevent the burning down of that office and to secure all the Electoral materials used in the just concluded Gubernatorial election in Kogi state,” Ijele said.

“They want to burn down the building housing those sensitive materials on the guise of a fire outbreak and with the aim of damaging all evidence of rigging.”

But the APC governorship campaign council said the SDP was engaging in propaganda.

“No amount of propaganda can help their baseless, senseless, unsubstantiated claims after their scorecard at the poll was at complete variance with their boastful pre-election posture,” Kingsley Fanwo, spokesperson of APC campaign council, said on Sunday night.

“They have resorted to attacking INEC and everyone except themselves. Such is the sorry state of a party and its candidate who lack the political pedigree to challenge the politically rooted APC in Kogi.

“Despite their intimidation in some parts of the state, INEC conducted a credible, free and fair election and the security agencies also ensured that the votes of the people counted.”

Fanwo commended residents of Kogi for voting for Usman Ododo, governorship candidate of the APC in the November 11 election.