The candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Kogi State, Muritala Ajaka, has called on opposition parties in the state to join forces with him.

OsunDailyNG reports that Ajaka, who has been at rift with Governor Yahaya Bello and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Usman Ododo, was a member of the APC National Working Committee (NWC).

Ajaka (Kogi East) is in the race for the November 11 governorship poll alongside APC’s Ododo (Kogi Central) and Dino Melaye of the People Democratic Party (PDP) (Kogi West), amongst others.

Recall that the SDP gubernatorial candidate had dumped the APC and joined his present party after losing the ticket to Ododo an ally of the incumbent governor and ex-Auditor General of Local Government in the state.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday, Ajaka claimed that he would not have joined the gubernatorial race if Governor Bello and the APC gave the party’s ticket to a candidate from Kogi West Senatorial District.

He stated that the APC should have zoned its ticket to the Kogi West as it is the turn of the Okun people to produce the next governor.

Ajaka said, “In all fairness if Yahaya Bello is sincere with the people of Kogi State. If he had given it to somebody from the West, of course, we will tell our people to wait. We would have flowed along that line.

“Even when the East was doing this governorship back to back, it has never been the same local government.

“If Yahaya Bello had given it to somebody from the West, of course, it is natural for us to align with that person but for you to give the ticket to somebody from the same ward with you? That can’t stand.”

“If the APC had given the ticket to somebody from the West. Of course, the rest of us would have talk to our people in the East for it to go round,” he added.

Ajaka, however, stated that Kogi West candidates do not have the numbers to win an election, urging them to align with the people of the East to fight the “common enemy”.