We have lost count of the number of tricks, evil machinations and subterranean political plots orchestrated by some political neophytes in Kogi state against the unstoppable governorship aspiration of Alhaji Murtala Yakubu Ajaka. Sadly, the more they congregate to launch offensive political attacks on Hon. Muri’s high-flying political flight, the higher it goes.
The malicious political tricks are in legion. But such tricks hardly survive or live beyond a day. The first evil plot was that Muri isn’t a registered member of the All Progressives Congress in Ajaka, his country home, alleging that he only jumped into the fray as an outsider. This white lie died a natural death following the presentation of facts by the APC leadership in Ajaka, proving that Muri is the life-wire of APC in Kogi which has been severely proven by many local government party chairmen in the state.
The second malicious plot just to get Hon. Muri out of the forthcoming APC primaries was to fraudulently collate the names and signatures of the APC Executive Council members in Ajaka for the sole purpose of suspending him from the party. Sadly for the plotters, their plan was punctured as the authentic APC Exco members publicly addressed the press stating clearly that their names and signatures were forged.
The grand plan was to make sure that Muri doesn’t take part in the APC screening exercise ahead of the primaries slated for the 14th of April, 2023. Lo and behold, Hon. Muri wasn’t only shortlisted for the screening exercise, but he was the first name on the list and the first to be screened.
With the screening exercise over, the next game plan was to make sure that Muri doesn’t get the nod or approval of the screening committee. Again, Muri gave them bloodied noses as he was screened and cleared to take part in the exercise.
The next game plan is to begin the arrest of notable members of the Muri campaign organization. As you read through these lines, prominent members of his team are being held by security agencies on trumped up charges, and for merely identifying with Muri. If this is not the height of political desperation, I wonder what it is.
Dissatisfied with Hon. Muri’s serial victories and triumphs, these same characters decided to use legal means to shoot down his high/flying political flight. They have approached different courts just to ensure that they stop Muri from contesting in the forthcoming primaries. Truth is, there is no trick these guys haven’t pulled, yet Muri remains strong and confident as he prepares for the APC primaries.
We can’t forget the recent one where one Danladi Imaji’s name was presented with pictures to a High Court in Lokoja to have sued Hon. Muri to be stopped from taking part in the forthcoming primary, but huge defeat welcomed them in the court room where the said Danladi Imaji presented himself and his lawyer in court with an affidavit to detach himself from any case in court against Muri.
The last attempt probably could be to label Hon. Muri a terrorist or accuse him of aiding and abetting terrorism in the state. Muri’s greatest strength lies in the fact that in the face of all these attacks, he remains calm even as he keeps defeating them daily. Undoubtedly, Muri has become a hard pill to swallow.
In the final analysis, Hon. Muri is readily and steadily prepared for the forthcoming APC Kogi governorship primaries, with hope in God that he would come out victorious. The million dollar question is; Who is afraid of Muri?
Sani Adeiza writes from Lokoja, Kogi state.
