The Social Democratic Party (SDP) claimed the Kogi State Government declared the ban on public gatherings ahead of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s homecoming rally because it was afraid of her.
The SDP press secretary, Isaiah Davies Ijele, who stated this during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, dismissed the government’s security concerns as mere cover-up.
He said the restriction of gathering was declared because of the growing influence of Senator Natasha.
“They are jittery. They are afraid of the charisma, the ambience, and everything that Senator Natasha carries. She is a young lady. I can tell you among the people on that floor of the Senate, the person that has won elections, clean, clear, devoid of all those games that they played against us in 2023, is Senator Natasha. She has the grassroots. She has the people. And that is why they are afraid,” Ijele said.
Ijele also condemned the state government for what he described as a double standard in handling security issues. He pointed out that in 2024, over 32 people were massacred in Omala Local Government Area, yet no curfew or rally ban was imposed.
“In 2024, last year, 32 people were massacred in my local government. My uncle, my auntie were victims of that massacre. There was no curfew. There was no ban on any political rallies. There was nothing of such. The government, in fact, even denied as if there was nothing happening until I took to social media and took to all the media houses to escalate and expose what was going on.
“There was no ban on political rallies. Only for Natasha coming home after she printed the poster, it was circulating on social media, then boom,” he said, accusing the government of downplaying violence in the state while using security as an excuse to suppress opposition voices.
He also highlighted the devastation in his hometown, Bagana, where he claimed bandits had razed every building, displacing residents for over two years without any meaningful government intervention.
“The people have been in IDP camps for the past two years. Kogi State government has never declared a state of emergency in that local government, but they declared it in Ihima, where no single life has ever been taken,” he added.
Ijele did not hold back in challenging the political dominance of the ruling party in Kogi State, stating that Natasha’s popularity was undeniable.
“I challenge Ododo and Bello put together, 10 of them, not just one, 10 together in an open ballot. Natasha will defeat them before four hours. In four hours, nobody will vote for them,” he asserted.
He accused the state government of imposing itself on the people, while failing to address insecurity in areas like Ejule and Aloma, which he described as hotbeds of kidnapping and banditry.
Despite the security clampdown, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan arrived in Okehi Local Government Area on Tuesday, defying both the state-imposed curfew and police warnings.
She was received by a massive crowd of supporters, proving that the government’s attempts to keep her away had done little to dampen public enthusiasm.
“Nobody and nothing can stop me from coming home. I’m an Ebira person. This is my land,” she declared in Ebira language after her arrival.
Before her return, she had also issued a bold warning, holding Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Governor Usman Ododo, and former Governor Yahaya Bello responsible for any violence that might occur during her visit.
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