The All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied involvement in the reported abduction of court witnesses of the Action Alliance Party appearing at the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal.
Action Alliance had raised an alarm that three of its key witnesses for the petition it filed against the declaration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, as the winner of Kogi 2023 governorship election were abducted.
The party claimed the three witnesses it identified as Idris Khadijat, Safiyat Muhammed, and Abdulmalik Muhammed were abducted by hoodlums loyal to the APC on Monday at the venue of the tribunal sitting in Abuja.
Musa Olumayowa Yakubu, Media Head, Olayinka Braimoh Campaign Organization, who stated this on Tuesday, said thugs suspected to be loyal to the ruling APC, invaded the court premises and carted away some of their witnesses.
However, reacting to the allegation in a statement on Wednesday, the State Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Bello described the reports as mischievous and false.
He said, “the APC Kogi State Chapter categorically refutes the mischievous allegation that any of its supporters abducted witnesses of the Action Alliance political party or even had any altercation with any witness.
“The party views the allegations which are totally false to have originated from mischief makers who are out to tarnish the image of the party and whip up sentiments with the ulterior motive of prejudicing the mind of the tribunal and the public against the APC.
“Indeed, the Chairman of the Kogi State Chapter of our party was in Court on the said 26th February, 2024 and he did not witness any such incidences but was only informed of a fracas which occurred between persons who were outside the tribunal complex.
“The All Progressives Congress condemns the attribution of the alleged abduction to the supporters of the APC and calls on law enforcement agencies to investigate the incidence and prosecute any persons found to have committed such alleged acts.”
