Ahead of the November 11 governorship election in Kogi State, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Murtala Ajaka, has denied ever meeting with his All Progressives Congress counterpart, Ahmed Ododo, contrary to a media report.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director of Communications of the Muritala Ajaka Governorship Campaign Council, Faruk Adejoh-Audu, the governorship candidate described the purported meeting as a piece of fake news put together by the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello in its quest to retain power for the APC.
The statement read in part: “In yet another display of unrestrained desperation, the government of Yahaya Bello has begun spreading fake news of secret meetings between its candidate and the SDP governorship hopeful, Muritala Ajaka.
“An obvious rogue blog known to have been contracted by the criminally depraved brigands that answer to the name of a state government in Lokoja on Tuesday went to town with the fiction that there had been secret meetings between one Ododo said to be the Kogi governorship candidate of the APC and Mr Ajaka.
“This brazen falsehood following closely on the heels of Bello’s disgraceful stage-managing of decamping of fake executives of the SDP a couple of weeks ago, demonstrates the sheer desperation in the camp of the despot and the handpicked minion he parades as APC governorship candidate.
“It will be recalled that on August 11, touts and urchins were gathered from the streets of Lokoja and given free caftans and caps to wear to pose for a group picture with Mr Bello. The picture was later brandished by Mr Bello as zonal and local government executives of the SDP who came to Government House, Lokoja, to decamp.
“Because we busted the unintelligent scam and ridiculed his asininity, he has now descended to inventing fake news through faceless blogs, believing that since it’s not directly coming from him, the public could be fooled into believing the falsehood. “
Adejoh-Audu added that since Ajaka left the APC a few months ago, he had not met with chieftains of the party, including Gov Bello and Mr Ododo.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the SDP candidate, Ajaka who officially left the APC in May this year has never met with Mr Bello and his cousin, Ododo, at anytime since his defection and has absolutely no reason to want to meet with people who have nothing to offer, except violence, blood-letting and barefaced looting.
“Ajaka and the SDP horse are galloping to a resounding victory and we shall not be distracted by fake news invented and spread by a drowning outlaw desecrating the revered seat of power in our state.
“If Bello and Alhaji Ajaka would ever meet again, it is most likely to be at the handing over ceremony on January 27, 2004 – if Mr Bello is brave enough to appear for the event after 8 years of atrocities against the people, the land of Kogi and the Nigerian laws against abuse of office and financial crimes,” he added.
The campaign council further urged the governor to brace up for the defeat that awaited his party and candidate in November, adding that “His notoriety for violence and bloodletting, avowed reputation for compromising electoral and security agencies and his new-found lust for inventing fake and wild news will not save him this time around.”
