The Kogi State government has issued a query to a monarch, Alhaji Abdulrasaq Gambo Isa Koto, the Ohimege-Igu Kotonkarfe, at the Kogi Local Government Traditional Council, Kontonkarfe.
The query signed by Barrister Salami Deedat, the Commmissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, dated November 22, stated that the traditional ruler was queried over "his failure to maintain peace during the time the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Alhaji Muritala Ajaka, visited Koto-Karfe."
The Governor Yahaya Bello government also accused the traditional ruler of being partisan and not showing concern when the political crisis festered and led to the death of a lady.
"It has come to the notice of the State Government that you deliberately engaged yourself in partisan role in the just conducted Gubernatorial Election in Kogi State," the query read.
"This is viewed very seriously, especially that your action, role and participation in partisan politics endangered the security of your domain to the extent that crisis erupted under your watch that led to death of an innocent young lady in addition to several others that were wounded.
"This blatant action of yours is a sad contradiction of your expected role as a revered Royal Father of your status. It is more worrisome that you acted unbothered when the much coveted peace and security of the State was being threatened by your action.
"In view of the above, you are hereby requested to forward a written explanation within 48 hours why disciplinary action should not be taken against you. Oral explanations may also be required from you when the State Government sets up a panel to examine your case.
"You are advised to give priority attention to the content of this letter, please, your Royal Majesty."
In October, the campaign council of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi State had denied involvement in the killing of the woman, a member of the All Progressives Congress in the Konto-Nkarfe area of the state.
Addressing a press conference in Lokoja, the state leader of the SDP, Alhaji Hassan Enape, had said that there was no iota of truth in the APC position to the effect that the victim was shot by the SDP loyalists.
According to him, “Rather, APC thugs waylaid party supporters on their way to the palace of the Ohimege Igu, Konto-Nkarfe and destroyed the chairs and canopies erected to host SDP supporters and proceeded to the campaign ground shooting sporadically into the air when a bullet from their pump action guns hit the young lady.”
He also denied that the party’s governorship candidate, Muritala Ajaka, was moving around with thugs in police uniforms.
“Our security personnel were legitimately assigned to our principal from the office of the Inspector General of Police and can be verified by the Commissioner of Police instead of describing them as fake. There is no single plain-clothed security personnel in the SDP’s entourage, we do not harbour thugs," he had added.
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