The Northern Stakeholders Consultative Forum (NSCF) has thrown its weight behind the calls for the arrest and prosecution of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in Kogi State, Murtala Yakubu, following his alleged indictment for inciting violence in the state.
The forum however emphasised the need for the November 11 Kogi State governorship election to be peaceful and fair.
The Kogi State Police Command had on Sunday invited Ajaka as part of its ongoing probe over the circumstances that led to the killing of a politician in Kotonkarfe local government area of the state on Saturday.
A statement by its spokesman, SP William Ovye Aya, said it received a report where “some persons were said to have been killed and injured in the process through political violence.”
But the spokesperson of NSCF, Comrade Danjuma Paul, in a statement, said allowing Yakubu to roam freely would only encourage impunity and create the impression that politicians can get away with acts of recklessness that threaten peace and security.
“We cannot afford to sit back and watch while some politicians flout the law and instigate violence, thereby putting lives and properties in danger,” he stated.
The group insisted that no politician should be allowed to hold the state to ransom in furtherance of his personal political agenda.
The group called on Kogi state voters to be wary of politicians who incite violence and make for voters to make informed decisions during the election.
The group also urged the relevant authorities to ensure that the elections are free and fair and that the votes of the people count.
“As stakeholders in the Nigerian project, we believe that only in a peaceful and transparent electoral process can the true will of the people be expressed. The Forum reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that Kogi State remains peaceful and united after the elections.”
The NSCF also implored all Kogi residents to remain law-abiding, not to take the law into their hands, and to always seek peaceful means of resolving conflicts.
Meanwhile, Yoruba Youth Council (YYC) has asked Kogi SDP governorship candidate to honour police invitation over the killing of an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in the state.
In a statement signed by its president and its publicity secretary, Comrade Eric Oluwole and Saheed Adeola, respectively, the council asked Ajaka to honour the police invitation over the allegations against him.
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