Attack on witnesses: SDP’s allegation stands logic on its head – Kogi Govt

The Kogi State Government has debunked the allegation that it masterminded last Friday’s attack on some who testified against it at the ongoing Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja.

Some witnesses were reportedly attacked in the Okene area of the state.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) had accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of being behind the attack.

But speaking at a press conference in Lokoja, the state capital, on Saturday, Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said the allegation was “not only reckless, but stands logic on its head”.

• Kogi: Drama as SDP witness contradicts self before tribunal on alleged ‘affidavit forgery
• I was not in Kogi during gov election – SDP’s star witness tells Tribunal

He accused the SDP of stage-managing attack to score cheap publicity.

Fanwo, said the case at the Tribunal was between parties, describing the SDP’s antics as a mere propaganda by accusing the State Government as the mastermind of the alleged attack.

“Why would anyone attempt or even attack a witness that has testified against those that paid him to witness for them?

“The discerning public is following the tribunal case and understands there is no need to attack witnesses that are doing enough to make SDP lose woefully in the law court,” he said.

However, he said “the State Government did not receive any report of politically stirred crisis and therefore surprised at the blatant, false, spurious and pedestrian claims by the Social Democratic Party”.

While he said the present government will strive to protect the people and residents of the State, including protecting its integrity and image, the Commissioner stated that governor Ahmed Usman Ododo is “undaunted in his resolve to serve the people of the State , rather than entangled in the propaganda festival” .