Reactions have continued to trail the alleged attack on the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Ebonyi State, Bernard Odoh, by gunmen. He was allegedly attacked by gunmen on Thursday in Iboko, Izzi local government area. Some of his supporters were wounded during the attack at the venue of an event he was to attend in the area while one of the cars in his convoy was shot at. Its back window was shattered by bullet.
Odoh, in a statement on Friday, appealed for calm from his supporters while appreciating the people for the concerns they expressed over his safety. The Save Ebonyi Group organized a march round the state capital to protest the attack. Bearing placards, they marched round the state capital Abakaliki to express their displeasure with the intolerant and violent attitude of the state government towards opposition party activities in the State.
The group, in a statement signed by Ude Eze and four others, noted that it is made up of concerned Nigerian citizens in Ebonyi State promoting peace and participatory democracy. “The State has undoubtedly become a war zone orchestrated by State agents under the directive of the governor. There has been consistent and shameful disregard to the rule of law, intimidation, abduction and torture of innocent citizens, as well as oppression of the opposition,’ he said.
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The group called on the Inspector General of Police and National Security Adviser to enforce their regulation on the non-use of regional or state security outfits for election related duties. Chukwuma Nwandiugo, the Action Alliance governorship candidate condemned the attack in its entirety. Odoh’s party, APGA, also frowned at the attack, describing it as unfortunate and heartbreaking. Spokesperson of the party in the state, Nwanchor Chibuike said the attack is unwarranted, unprovoked, unspeakable and animalistic.
But Chairman of Izzi Local Government Area, Steve Nwankpa said no one attacked the convoy of Prof Odoh anywhere in the local government. He said, rather, it was Odoh’s security aides and thugs who entered the community and stated shooting sporadically. He said they injured the Coordinator of Izzi Development Centre Chukwudi Pascal. According to Nwankpa, in order to cover up for what his aides did, Odoh rushed to the media to accuse Ebuebagu of what they did not do.
Governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Francis Nwifuru denied responsibility for the said attack. Nwifuru, who hails from Izizi LGA where the incident took place, described the accusations as another bucket load of façade, to attempt a tumbling blackmail on him. “The members of the public and the good people of Ebonyi State are by this statement implored to disregard in its entirety, the local movie created by members of APGA in Ebonyi State, as they have seen their failure ahead – hence, resorting to cheap blackmail,” he said.