Michael Onwuka, Enugu
Sen. Ike Ekweremadu’s campaign group, Ikeoha Campaign Organisation, has raised concern over the persecution of their supporters in Enugu.
The Director-General of the group, Chief Charles Asogwa, disclosed this on Friday in Enugu while briefing newsmen on the controversy that trailed the delegates’ congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
Recall that the PDP had on April 30 held its ward congress for the election of three-member ad hoc delegates for its gubernatorial primaries across the country.
However, the exercise in Enugu was marred by isolated cases of violence that led to machete cuts and confiscation of camera and mobile phones belonging to some party members.
Some of the centres the hoodlums attacked included Oduma Ward 4, Ugbaike Enugu Ezike, Awgu Ward 2 and Agba Umanna Ward in Aninri, Igboeze North, Awgu and Ezeagu Local Government Areas respectively.
Meanwhile, Asogwa attributed the incident to the resurgence of political violence in the state ahead of the 2023 general elections.
He said that the growing culture of political violence, cultism and banditry that had resurfaced in the state leading to the election was condemnable.
According to the director-general, some hoodlums even scaled the fence of his residence in Ede Oballa, Nsukka Local Government Area, in an attempt to attack him.
He said that it had become necessary for security agencies, especially, the police, to rise to the challenge of protecting citizens in the course of discharging their civic duties.
“Our principal and governorship aspirant had on several occasions called on the national and state leaderships of the PDP to ensure a transparent process so that whoever emerges will be embraced by all.
“That way, the PDP will go into the 2023 general elections as one big family,” he said.
Asogwa said that all the attacks were deliberate efforts aimed at truncating the gubernatorial ambition of Ekweremadu in 2023.
He said that people needed to be allowed the freedom to politically associate in order to ensure peaceful primaries and general elections in the state.
“Political banditry remains an ill wind. Those who support this evil or have decided to look away at this time, should remember that what goes around will always come around.
“We, therefore, call on security agencies to fish out and prosecute all perpetrators of violence in Enugu State.
“We also call on all lovers of democracy to join hands to arrest this growing culture of political violence, cultism and banditry to ensure a peaceful primary and 2023 general election in Enugu State,” Asogwa said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Command, Mr. Daniel Ndukwe, said that he had no such report of attack during the PDP congress.
Ndukwe, however, said that he would have to get confirmation from the divisions where the incidents purportedly occurred.
