APC blackmail, intimidation, attack against my members will no longer be acceptable in Ebonyi- PDP Chairman
Gracia Simeon-Abakaliki
Chairman Ebonyi State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party PDP Hon. Tochukwu Okorie has vowed that his party will no more, watch the All Progressive Congress Party APC led government in the state to attack, blackmail and intimidate his party faithfuls.
Okorie, disclosed this when he briefed Journalists in Abakaliki at the weekend alledging that the ruling party has made plans with leaders of Ebubeagu Security Network on February 11-12, 2022 to silence his party by arresting the leaders and stakeholders of the party from the State.
He then promised to henceforth match APC words for words and action for action in the state and hitterland.
His words, “We have it on good authority that on the 10 of February 2022 that Ebonyi state government called a meeting in which the attendees were essentially leaders of Ebubeagu militia that operates in Ebonyi state, there was a follow-up meeting on the 11th day of February 2022. This meetings was called to address the nagging issue of security in the state.
“You will recall gentlemen that the People’s Democratic party had raised an alarm following the incessant incident of brutality and killings attributed to operatives of Ebubeagu . You will also recall that following the alarm we raised a number of issues have been taken to Court, a number of persons have gone to court to challenge the legality or otherwise of the law setting up Ebubeagu and ancillary matters.
“It is consequent upon those developments that the meeting of 12 February was called. And in that meeting it will interest you to know that they come up with following resolutions, that going forward the only way to stop the PDP and opposition in the state from further challenging the brutality Ebubeagu mets to citizens of Ebonyi is now to begin to implicate leaders of the PDP and other stakeholders who are in opposition to the misadministration, misgovernance that is going on in the state.
“This briefing became absolutely necessary so that Ebonyians, Nigerians and indeed the whole world will know that they have hatched a plot to link stakeholders of PDP in particular and other opposition party leaders to crime and phantom situations in other to demoralise an attempt to whittle popularity and mass appeal that PDP has commanded in the state.
“Let it be known that not withstanding the brigandage that passes for governance in the state, not withstanding the intimidation harassment all sorts of ill treatment that the government has dished out to both citizens and leaders of the states alike, it would appear that the masses are still in love with the PDP, this has unsettled the governor and his Co travellers that they are doing everything humanly possible to see if they can break the resolve of the party leaders and dample the moral of Ebonyi citizens.
“I want to let Ebonyians know that their own darling party, the PDP will not stand idlely by and watch while anybody for that matter harasses or intimidate any resident of the state whether in the capital city or in the hinterlands. Gentlemen of the press you will also recall that about a forth night ago the news of the brutal murder of a certainman
“In Akaeze in Ivo local government broke following which there was also an uprising and a more than proportionate response to the issue of Ebubeagu was witnessed.
“During his visit, the Governor regrettably failed to condemn killing of this young man and in such brutal bizarre manner but rather blamed the opposition for the uprising that followed.
“This is to show the callousness that has become the state policy in Ebonyi, this is to show the mindlessness of the government in their avowed repressive tendencies and this is why we are out here today to let the whole world and indeed Ebonyians to be aware that we are aware of the latest plot they have hatched to hound the opposition, to hound PDP leaders and we warn by this medium that we a prepared to match force with force, to match whatever it is they are bringing on board,let it be known that whatever happens PDP is on ground in Ebonyi state and nothing will change that, the question and it has been established that Ebonyi state belong to PDP”.
Meanwhile, countering the allegations, the Publicity Secretary APC in the state, Mr. Chidi Ogbuatu, said the opposition party PDP was crying wolf because Governor David Umahi dumped it to the ruling APC party.
He then tasked the main PDP members to desist from working against the progress of the state government adding that the governor is busy completing the massive projects his administration has embarked on. Ends
