Enugu Bye Election: APC Candidate Alleges Threat to His Life, Petitions IGP

Posted by Ignatius Okpara African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Friday, November 6th, 2020

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The All progressive Congress APC Candidate in the forthcoming Isi Uzo State constituency election in Enugu state, Southeast Nigeria, Engr. MacDonald Ejiofor Okwor, has petitioned the Inspector General of police (IGP), Adamu Mohammed, over threat to his life, and that of members of his family by political thugs alleged to be working for the ruling people’s Democratic party PDP.

In the three page petition he personally signed and made available to newsmen Tuesday in Enugu, the APC flag bearer, said he has been receiving threat phone calls from unknown persons suspected to be PDP thugs, threatening to kill him, members of his family and supporters over the poll.

He said: “Some of our supporters have been beaten up by PDP thugs, my campaign banners have been removed in so many places. Just this evening, I received a call that PDP thugs are looking for me to kill me.

“However, should anything happen to me, my family, my supporters’ or their properties, Enugu state PDP should be held responsible.

Efforts by African Examiner to get reaction from the state PDP Chairman, Mr. Augustine Nnamani, on the accusation hit the rock, as his mobile phone was switched off as at the time of filing this report, even as the State Secretary, Mr. Cletus Akalusi, did not take several calls put across to his phone

It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, had earlier fixed the Isi Uzo bye election for October 31st, last month, before the nation wide Violent #ENDSARS protest broke out, leading to an indefinite postponement of the election..

The document read: “I, MacDonald Ejiofor Okwor, the Candidate of the All progressive Congress APC, for the forthcoming Isi Uzo State Constituency election in Enugu state, wish to petition your respected office over threat to my life, the lives of my family members and supporters, and threat to our property

He alleged that the ruling PDP, is afraid of his candidacy hence, they are desperate over the election and wants to use intimidation, violence and all manner of undemocratic means to deliver it’s Candidate, and Widow of the late member representing the Constituency, Mr. Chijioke Ugwueze, who died in office few months ago.

The petition, was also copied to the National Security Adviser, (NSA), Director – General, Department of State Security Service (DSS), Chief of Army Staff, (COAS) Enugu state Commissioner of police, General Officer, (GOC), Commanding 82 Division of the Nigerian Army Enugu, National Chairman of Interim Management Committee of APC among others.

Okwor, equally accused the PDP, of importing political thugs into the villages of Isi Uzo, for familiarization in preparation for violence on the election day.

“They have prepared a cult group in my village called “Crackers” who they use in every election to destabilize the voting process at various polling units in other to create chance to sneak in ballot papers thumb printed outside the polls and make use of unclaimed PVCs , including those one belonging to dead people for multiple voting.

“Please kindly use your good office to provide adequate security cover for me, my family, and Supporters” adding that the alarm became necessary, following PDP’s alleged undemocratic antecedents in the area.

“This is an election that APC will win without PDP’s usual electoral malpractices, such as aqustiion of result sheets, vote buying , ballot snatching , multiple thumb-printing mutilation and falsification of polling results at collation stages, violence and victimization of supporters of opponents.

He appealed to the IGP, and other security agencies to take the petition very seriously “as life they say has no duplicate.