New Telegraph

2023 guber: Ekweremadu raises the alarm over ‘political banditry’ in Enugu

  • Wants security agencies to fish out attackers

 

Former Deputy Senate President and governorship aspirant in Enugu State under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen Ike Ekweremadu, has expressed worry over growing political violence in the state ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Ekweremadu specifically condemned alleged frequent attacks on his supporters across the state, which he described as “political banditry”. The Ikeoha Campaign Organisation, Ekweremadu’s governorship campaign group, raised the alarm, weekend, while briefing journalists in Enugu.

The campaign organisation called on security agencies in Enugu State to fish out and prosecute all perpetrators of violence against Ekweremadu’s supporters during the ward delegates’ congress in Enugu State last week.

Ekweremadu is one of the top contenders for the governorship position of Enugu State come 2023. Addressing a press conference on the development, the director general of his organization, Hon. Charles Ogbo Asogwa, described the attacks as part of the unsuccessful attempts by people, who decided to play against the rule, to scuttle the actual legitimate process.

He listed some places where violence was visited on the senator’s supporters to include, Oduma Ward 4, Aninri LGA; Ugbaike, Enugu Ezike, Igboeze North LGA Agba Umanna Ward, Ezeagu LGA, among others, saying that similar incident which happened early April was duly reported to the governor and security agencies. He said: “Clearly, the attacks were part of the unsuccessful attempts by people, who decided to play against the rule, to scuttle the actual legitimate process.

“Because they were not prepared for any congress; because they confiscated the result sheets, such that not a single result sheet could be found in any of the 260 Wards of Enugu State; because they were more interested in submitting a prepared list, they attacked our supporters, who came out in their numbers to do the right in line with the Constitution and Guideline of the PDP, they were surprised that PDP faithful trooped out in their numbers to do the right. “Despite the attempts to stop them in some places, they still went ahead to exercise their democratic.

“We therefore call on the security agencies to fish out and prosecute all perpetrators of violence in Enugu State, just as we call on all lovers of peace and democracy to join hands to persuade the authorities to take the necessary and decisive steps to arrest this growing culture of political violence, cultism, and banditry to ensure a peaceful primary and 2023 general election in Enugu State. People should never be afraid to politically associate, and they should certainly never associate out of fear.”

He said that the matter was already being reported to the national secretariat of the PDP. The campaign DG, who described “political banditry” as an ill wind that blows no one any good, warned that “those who support this evil, including those who have decided to look away or sit on the fence at this time of moral crisis, should also remember that what goes around will always come around.”

Read Previous

Airline operators may suspend tomorrow’s shutdown as Reps intervene

Read Next

Jehovah’s Witnesses stress need for faith in God

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *