The 2019 All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Abia governorship aspirant, Dr. Alex Otti has accused the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of re-introducing thuggery and violence in the state ahead of the 2019 election.
In a release titled “Abia State Government’s Sponsored Terror Attack on APGA and Alex Otti: Putting Abians on Notice” and endorsed by his media aide, Ferdinand Ekeoma Otti was quoted to have said that he was compelled to write and officially inform Abians and the country in general of a barbaric and life threatening incident that took place on Tuesday, August 21, 2018 at Obingwa LGA.
The release read in part, “Dr. Otti considers this unprovoked attack as very dangerous and grievous, and thus notifies as follows:
“That the Obingwa chapter of APGA had informed the state leadership of the party, and it’s governorship aspirant, Dr. Otti of the willingness of some former members of other political parties and intending new members to declare officially for APGA at a rally organized by the party on the said date, at the premises of the National Institute of Nigerian Languages (NILAN) formerly Federal School of Arts and Science, Umuokahia, located at Obingwa LGA of the state.
“That on arrival at the venue early in the morning of the day, the leaders of APGA discovered that the venue had been locked. Given that the venue had been paid for and police clearance secured for the event, the leaders engaged the school security men who were surprised that the gate had been locked. Minutes later, the LGA Chairman, Mr. Hanson Amaechi emerged from across the gate, accompanied by several thugs.
He emphatically stated that he was under instruction from the Abia State government to ensure that the rally did not hold and would therefore not unlock the gate. At this point a senior officer of the school came out to confirm that the school had been paid for the venue and the APGA should be allowed access to the premises. The thugs with the LG Chairman threatened the gentleman who left the area out of fear.
“All the pleading from the APGA leaders fell on deaf ears as the Chairman insisted that the gathering would not hold. He and his thugs subsequently started making open threats, vowing that nothing would make Alex Otti and APGA hold any political activity in Obingwa; because it is the LGA of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
“To prove their threats after long verbal altercations and engagements, the thugs began hauling stones, bottles and other dangerous objects at APGA and Otti’s supporters. This caused confusion as many people, especially women, scampered for safety. The climax of the attack was when they drove off a bulldozer packed by the side of the road, and sped towards the direction of our people; with the intent of crushing them and their vehicles”.
Otti said the purpose of the release was neither to draw public sympathy nor to appeal to emotions, rather to update Abians, put them on notice and properly situate record of events even as 2019 draws closer.
While informing that APGA and her supporters shall be going back to Obingwa in the next few days to host the event, Otti appealed to parents and guardians to caution their children and wards who he said were being given peanuts and sent on suicide mission, which political thuggery represents
Reacting, Ikechukwu Iroha, a media aide to the governor in a statement absolved the local government chairman of any complicity. He said the altercation and the fracas that ensued was between the Otti and Chief Chikwe Udensi factions of APGA and that the local government chairman only came in to ensure peace in the area.
When our reporter contacted Chief Udensi who is also a governorship aspirant in the 2019 election, he denied any involvement of his supporters in the incident, insisting that APGA is one family and could not have engaged each other in any physical attack.
He warned that should the violence against members of APGA in the state continues, the party would be force to devise any lawful means to protect its members.
“Ikpeazu should call his boys to order. I thought that he is a refined politician. There is no way I or members of my group would engage in a physical fight with my brother, Alex Otti. Call Otti’s DG; Max Nduaguibe and ask him who the people that stopped them from using NINLAN, a federal government facility that they have paid to use for their event where? The people that did that are not and can never be my supporters.”