As Kogi State governorship election draws near, the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has charged political gladiators in the major political parties to work toward a violent free election by guarding their utterances.
Aliyu who gave the charge in Abuja when members of Kogi State House of Assembly paid her a courtesy visit also acknowledged the fact that it is not yet Uhuru until after the governorship elections when the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) shall sing a song of victory.
She, therefore, charged elected lawmakers in the state to go back home and win the trust of the people ahead of the governorship election, assuring that most of the legislators have already delivered their constituency.
Aliyu affirmed that the era of divide and rule in Kogi State is over, noting that the ruling party is ready to work for the continuity of Governor Yahaya Bello, as one big and united family.
“We came out successful during our primaries, but it is not yet Uhuru until after elections when we shall jointly sing songs of praise. The era of divide and rule in Kogi State is over because we are now one big family. We should unit together and make Kogi a hub of industries and tourist attractions.
“The governor should go and sleep and trust us. For me, Kogi State in the near future will not be a poor state because of the tourism potentials God has given us. But we cannot do it alone, we have to partner relevant bodies and other arms of government. I will serve as your massager at the federal level to make our voice known to Mr. President.
“Kogi has come to stay because we are now one family ready to work for the continuity of our governor. Legislators should go back home and talk to their people for them to win their trust. By doing that, the election will be over. I know most of you have already delivered your constituency.
“But more importantly, guard your utterances towards the forthcoming governorship election in Kogi State. Prove to Nigerians that Kogi governorship election is the most violent free, just as we witnessed during the primaries. There will be no snatching of ballot boxes to prove a point to the oppositions. I appeal to you to remain calm,” she said
On his part, the Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Matthew Kolawale, observed that the state ought to have developed more than Lagos as the oldest capital city of Nigeria, just as he regretted that leadership failure has been a major drawback of the state.
He, however, expressed confidence that with the appointment of FCT Minister of State from Kogi, she will change the narratives, just as he appealed to Federal Government to cite a seaport in Kogi State to service the nation’s capital.
According to him, “for us, we are happy for this appointment and we identify with you as our illustrious daughter. I am happy to hear from you that you are from Kogi State and does not belong to any tribe.
“You can use your position to facilitate many things to the state because the FCT is already choked. If there is any seaport that will service the FCT, it should be cited in Kogi State. We want to assure you that with the composition of Kogi State House of Assembly, the election is over”.
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