PRESS RELEASE:
RE: KOGI DEPUTY GOVERNOR, COMRADE JOEL SALIFU AT IT AGAIN
1. Our attention has been drawn to a statement issued by one Omera Opaluwa in the early hours of today, alleging that the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency Comrade Joel Salifu, in collusion with certain individuals, assaulted members of the opposition SDP during their meeting in Ejule.
2. We would have refrained from responding to this baseless allegation, but we feel compelled to clarify the situation in order to prevent this unscrupulous individual from misleading the unsuspecting public and inciting hostility against the God-fearing and people-friendly Deputy Governor of Kogi State.
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3. It is obvious that the opposition SDP in the state is engaged in unfounded accusations and a blame game, rather than addressing their internal conflict. It is well-documented that the SDP in the state is divided into two factions, each led by its own Chairman, and they are perpetually embroiled in a struggle for control over the party’s structure. The aggrieved faction must have launched the assault and inflicted injuries upon the other faction.
4. Why would the Deputy Governor, in the first instance, dispatch thugs to attack a party that has so evidently failed to maintain its own organization? In fact, for emphasis, the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Comrade Joel Salifu, is currently not in the state. He has been on official duty outside the state since Thursday, May 15, and is scheduled to return on Monday. How could he possibly orchestrate such an act against opposition members in the village while being out of the state? There is absolutely no correlation between the allegations and reality.
5. The Deputy Governor has consistently advocated for a robust democracy, enriched by a strong and competitive opposition, and has called for constructive criticism of the government to enhance its service to the people. It is a contradiction for the same proponent of competitive democracy to seek to silence the opposition.
6. We advise the opposition SDP to prioritize internal cohesion and engage in the genuine political discourse expected of an opposition party in a democratic framework such as ours. We shall not allow ourselves to be dragged into the mire and disgrace of engaging in conflict with a party that lacks structure and organization.
7. In conclusion, we urge the SDP in Kogi State and Kogi East to eschew the politics of bitterness, falsehoods, and unfounded accusations, and to refrain from inciting animosity among the innocent citizens merely because of their failures in the last election. They should avoid misleading the public, particularly in fostering animosity towards the people-friendly administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
Unubi Emmanuel
Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor,
Kogi State
May 17, 2025
