Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
The councillorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State held on Friday in different parts of the state for the July 20 local government and councillorship primaries turned bloody with some members of the party injured by suspected thugs.
The state Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, had said that the exercise would be peaceful.
Emegha told newsmen after distribution of materials that adequate arrangements have been made including provision of security to ensure peaceful exercise.
“Our primaries will be free and fair, no danger. I am not envisaging any danger at all. There will be no crisis because we are all one,” he stated.
But the primaries were bloody in some parts of the state with party supporters battered by political thugs.
In Ekka community, Ezza North Local Government, some persons are seen in viral video having varying degrees of injuries in different parts of their bodies.
One of them, Nwuna Chikodiri, said they were asked to choose who would be their councillor in Ekka ward and that they were doing the primaries when thugs loyal to two prominent persons in the community; a Commissioner and Development Center Coordinator descended on them.
“We were asked to choose our councillor and we decided to do that. We were on it when thugs descended on us.
‘”The thugs gave many of us different injuries like this. It was Chikwado that hit me like this on the face. They used bottle and inflicted injuries on Emeka Aboy. So many people have been injured as I speak,” he stated.