Muritala Ajaka, a candidate from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the upcoming governorship election in Kogi State, spoke out about his decision not to participate if the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) chooses a candidate from Kogi West Senatorial District.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today program, Ajaka expressed his concerns.
The race for the November 11 governorship poll in Kogi State includes other candidates such as Usman Ododo from the APC and Dino Melaye from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Addressing the argument made by the Okun people in Kogi West, who believe it is their turn to produce the next governor, Ajaka stated, “If Governor Yahaya Bello truly values the people of Kogi State, and he had given the opportunity to someone from the West, we would have respected that decision. We would have supported that candidate.”
Ajaka emphasised the importance of fair representation and diversity by pointing out that when the East had consecutive governorships, they were not from the same local government. However, giving the ticket to someone from the same ward as the current governor raises concerns about fairness.
Ajaka decided to run for governor because the ruling APC did not choose a candidate from Kogi West. He stated, “If the APC had selected a candidate from the West, the rest of us would have spoken to our people in the East about the need for equal opportunities.”
The SDP candidate mentioned that the Western side of the state does not have enough numbers to win an election on its own, urging them to join forces with the people of the East to fight their “common enemy.”
While Ajaka hails from Kogi East Senatorial District, Ododo represents Kogi Central and Melaye comes from Kogi West.
Ajaka was previously a member of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) until he left the party after failing to secure the APC’s governorship ticket. Instead, the ticket was given to Ododo, an ally of the current governor and former Auditor General of Local Government in the state. Following this, Ajaka joined the SDP and obtained the party’s governorship ticket.
Additionally, Ajaka reported cases of violence and attacks against himself and his supporters to the security agencies, highlighting the need for a peaceful electoral process.
