2023 normal elections: Once more, APGA, Umahi conflict over ‘intimidation of supporters’ in Ebonyi

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Ebonyi State has, as soon as once more, lamented assaults by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on supporters of the occasion in Afikpo North, particularly threats on Governor Umahi’s opponent within the Ebonyi South Senatorial race, Sir Ifeanyi Eleje.

In a press release made obtainable to Blueprint in Abuja on Saturday evening, signed by the Director, Media and Publicity, Odohzia Ebonyi Marketing campaign council, Mr Charles Otu, APGA stated that many occasion supporters have been pencilled down for assaults for the easy purpose of asking for good governance.

The occasion appealed for intervention by the Inspector Normal of Police (IGP), the Presidency, Chief of Military Workers, Chief of Defence Workers, INEC Chairman, Nigeria Intelligence Company (NIA), Nationwide Safety Adviser (NSA), Division of State Safety (DSS), Nationwide Human Rights Fee (NHRC), amongst others. 

The assertion learn: “The eye of the Marketing campaign council of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, Professor Benard Odoh, in any other case often known as Odohzia Ebonyi Marketing campaign council has been drawn to some recent plots to destabilize the marketing campaign of the occasion’s senatorial candidate in Ebonyi South, Sir Ifeanyi Eleje, by the brokers of the Umahi-led APC authorities masquerading as Ebubeagu officers within the council space.

“Our findings confirmed that the state authorities has concluded plans to abduct, torture and remand APGA supporters in police custody and throw some others into the correctional amenities. Another influential stakeholders and supporting the occasion we additionally learnt have already been pencilled down for maiming, which is able to land them within the hospitals until after the election. 

“To make good their threats and plots which we had earlier gotten hints of, the Ebubeagu safety operatives working below the Chairman of the Native Authorities Space, Mr. Uchenna Ibiam, had been detailed to abduct, torture and ransack the residences of our Senatorial candidate’s supporters. They’ll then be coerced into making confessions that they had been despatched by the occasion’s leaders to destroy and deface APC marketing campaign billboards within the space.

“It was reliably gathered that the Ebubeagu militia, on the instruction of the management of the council space, invaded the residence of an APGA supporter, one Amobi Ujah, the place he was kidnapped, whereas his good friend and one other APGA supporter, one Chijioke, was fortunate to flee. 

“The sufferer was consequently taken to the council space the place he was severely tortured, compelled to admit in a video and identify the Director Normal of the Ifeanyi Eleje Marketing campaign council, Mr. Iheukwumere Okogwu, amongst others, as sponsors behind the destruction of APC billboards within the space. After the Council Chairman, Ibiam, personally recorded him (as he may very well be heard on the background within the video) having critical accidents inflicted on him by the Ebubeagu boys, they later handed him over to the state’s Police Command.

“Consequently, the Ebubeagu officers invaded the residence of the stated Mr. Okogwu at Ukpa village in Afikpo North within the early hours of immediately, stealing a bike and different invaluable property within the compound, claiming to be attempting to find him. Since then, Okogwu has not been seen and neither is his whereabouts recognized to the general public. Already, we had been knowledgeable that there’s heavy stress in his Ukpa village over the invasion of his residence and the gunshots that had been heard in space.

“The marketing campaign practice of our expensive Social gathering- APGA has been probably the most orderly and peaceable within the State. It’s to the purpose that even when nearly all our candidates’ billboards and posters have been destroyed and defaced, now we have since chosen to have interaction and converse on to the voters, leaving the brokers of presidency to be destroying inanimate objects like our billboards.

“We name on the Inspector Normal of Police, Baba Usman to instantly order an investigation into the wanton killings and unprovoked assaults on Umahi’s political opponents in Ebonyi State by this unlawful para-military Ebubeagu Safety outfit, which he had already personally barred from collaborating within the actions resulting in the 2023 normal elections. Once more, we be a part of different Ebonyians and Nigerians together with civil society teams to beckon on him to instantly disband the unlawful Ebubeagu militia outfit and retrieve all the harmful weapons they’ve stockpiled to terrorize harmless residents earlier than, throughout and even after 2023 normal elections.”

Reacting to the allegations in an unique interview with Blueprint, the Particular Adviser to Governor Umahi on Media and Technique, Hon. Chooks Oko, stated APGA is merely partaking in propaganda and shouldn’t be taken significantly.

He stated: “You’ll be able to see that the discharge is stuffed with cock and bull tales of imagined victories and conquered territories. When you’ve such conjectures, it turns into obtrusive that the tale-bearer is on a quick spin, hallucinating over the hope for greater than the actual.

“For the avoidance of doubt, APGA and her candidates are mere pretenders within the political house that can’t command anybody sitting right down to plan for them. Gladly, points have been handed over to the police. Let the police do their work and inform us the reality. Relying on low cost propaganda will lead us nowhere quick.”