SDP quits INEC peace accord after attack on candidate’s convoy in Kogi

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has refused to sign the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) peace accord for the Kogi state governorship election.

TheCable learnt SDP representative shunned the peace accord after the party’s campaign train was attacked at the venue of the INEC meeting in Lokoja, the state capital, on Tuesday.

Rotimi Oyekanmi, INEC spokesman, confirmed the development to journalists.

The party’s campaign organisation which accompanied Natasha Akpoti, its governorship candidate, arrived for the meeting moments after the event had started.

They were, however, refused entry into the venue and were assaulted by some individuals.

Some persons in the SDP convoy were said to have sustained injuries in the assault while one car in the fleet was damaged.

Akpoti was forced to leave with her team after attempts to get her into the venue were unsuccessful.

Oyekanmi said the SDP representative on the ground, whose name could not be immediately confirmed, refused to endorse the peace accord after the incident.

“We asked the Legal Officer of our Kogi State Office to go outside the hall and look for Natasha Akpoti, but he came back and reported that he searched the entire premises but could neither locate her nor her entourage,” he said.

“Now, the representative of the SDP inside the hall was asked to endorse the Peace Accord, but he refused.”