Many people were injured, most of them security aides, as the convoy of Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello clashed with the team accompanying the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP in the state.
The clash took place Saturday, along the Lokoja Abuja road with both Yahaya Bello and the SDP candidate escaping unhurt from the scene.
The incident took place near a Naval Base, a few kilometres away from Lokoja, the state capital.
The Kogi Commissioner for Information, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, made the disclosure in a statement in Lokoja.
He however alleged that gunmen who he said were an opposition political party in the state, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), attacked the governor’s convoy.
The commissioner said the incident which occurred at about 12.30 p.m., left several people including security aides injured and taken to the hospital for medical attention.
“The gunmen suspected to be political thugs of the SDP, having sighted the convoy of Bello approaching, blocked the road and started shooting at the convoy.
“A Tundra branded with the logo and flags of the party also blocked the governor’s vehicle and the occupants were armed with rifles and short guns.
“But thank God our governor left the scene unscathed and there is no cause for panic.
“Some security aides and other aides attached to the governor sustained some degrees of injuries and have been rushed to medical facilities for attention.
“We urge the people of Kogi to remain calm as security agents are in full control to ensure the arrest of the hoodlums behind the attack, ” he said.
Fanwo said the state government would not allow any breakdown of law and order but would do all it could to bring the attackers to justice.
According to him, the governor has warned that no APC member should get involved in any reprisal attack as insecurity from any quarter will be met with stiff penalties.
However, Kunle Afolayo, Media Aide to the SDP Governorship Candidate, Yakubu Ajaka, denied the allegations saying: “It was the other way round because it was his political thugs that attacked us.”
“Is it possible for an opposition political party to attack a governor just like that?
“We were on our way to the Palace of Maigari in Lokoja from Koton Karfe this afternoon, when the governor’s convoy, heading to Lokoja from Abuja, met us on the way and launched an attack on us just like that.
“God knows the truth. It’s unfortunate that APC administration in Kogi is using government might against us and to lie against us for a crime they committed against us, ” the media aide said