The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State has responded to the violence allegations made by the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen Dino Melaye.
Melaye, during a press conference in Lokoja, the state capital, on Thursday, alleged that there is a plan to unleash thugs during the November 11 governorship election.
The former Kogi West Senator alleged that Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State is planning to bring in thugs from Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States to the state to disrupt the elections.
Reacting to the allegations in a statement on Thursday, the spokesman of the APC Governorship Campaign Council, Kingsley Fanwo, asked Melaye to stop making excuses for his imminent defeat.
Fanwo, however, described Melaye’s allegation as an “archaic warfare strategy”, refuting the claim that the governor is plotting to import thugs to the state to cause mayhem.
The state Commissioner for Information also called on Kogi residents should come and vote for APC without fear of violence.
The statement reads: “Dino Melaye, whose ‘ticket’ set fire on the PDP, leading to the detection of key leaders and officials of the party at all levels, knows that he stands no chance in the forthcoming election, hence, his usual drama of raising false alarms and claims that do not exist.
“The game is over for him. We challenge the abandoned PDP governorship candidate to submit his claims to security agencies and be ready to defend them.
“With two senators, six House of reps members, twenty-two House of Assembly members, twenty-one council chairmen and all the ward councillors in the state, APC has all the required political structure to win a free and fair governorship poll.
“Our Governor has done so well that the people will endorse his party as they have always done since 2015.”