The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, has condemned attacks on opposition figures in the state by gunmen suspected to be Ebube Agu operatives, accusing David Umahi, the state governor, of declaring war on the people.
The main opposition party which decried a recent attack on Senator Sam Egwu, a former governor of the state, as well as other leading opposition figures in the state, called for an emergency action to prevent imminent “bloodbath.”
In a statement on Sunday, by Abia Onyike, Director of Media and Publicity, PDP Governorship Campaign Council, the party noted that the spate of politically-motivated killings in Ebonyi has become unbelievable.
“The political situation in Ebonyi state has degenerated from bad to worse. Gov. David Umahi has refused to listen to the voice of reason, as his attack dogs and militia groups continue to attack prominent citizens of the state who are members of opposition political parties,” the statement reads.
“We hereby unequivocally condemn in very strong terms the latest attack on Sen. Sam Ominyi Egwu (Senator representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District), who went for a PDP rally yesterday to address his constituents in the private residence of Senator Sylvania Ngiji Ngele in Amagu, Abakaliki Local Government Area.
“The road to Sen. Ngele’s house was suddenly blocked by EbubeAgu Security, Gov. Umahi’s militia group which he uses to do dirty political jobs in the state. Later in the night, the EbubeAgu chaps returned to Sen. Ngele’s house and started shooting sporadically with their AK-47 and pump actions assault riffles.
“We also regret to recall that on Wednesday, 1st February, 2023, Dr. Sam Egwu successfully held a rally at Obegu Abba in Ebonyi LGA. At the end of the rally, Sen. Egwu left the venue only for gun men to invade the home of the PDP Chairman in the Council area, Mr. Michael Nwebonyi. They started shooting intensively for more than twenty minutes. Properties were vandalized and several people were wounded as they scampered for safety while others ran into the bush.
“Two days ago, the Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof Odo was ambushed at Okpoto by Umahi’s militia where his convoy was subjected to a volley of bullets. Prof. Odo luckily escaped unhurt. But his driver was instantly murdered, his backup vehicles were set ablaze.
“The spate of politically-motivated killings in Ebonyi has become unbelievable.
“In order to stop the Governorship ambition of a son of the soil, the desperados are believed to be behind the spate of killings and disappearances in Isu, Onicha LGA where over 6 persons including the body guard of the Governorship candidate were killed, in order to stop the Governorship aspiration. What a horrible scenerio.
“Gov Umahi has never hidden his disdain for a level playing field in a democratic system of Government. He believes that only the incumbent Government party should be permitted to hold sway during elections and Campaigns. This obnoxious political mentality led him to taking some strange and terrible steps, such as the introduction of an Executive Order banning the use of public schools for Campaign Rallies by opposition parties.
“Gov. Umahi must be compelled to speak up on his role in all of these atrocities, which have painted Ebonyi state as a war-torn state. Umahi’s legacy of stories of constant killings of citizen’s and his political opponents has become extremely vexacious and unacceptable. It is so unfortunate that, for the past few months, many people are killed in politically related crises since Umahi realised that the masses whom he had oppressed and deceived for too long had abandoned him.
“If Umahi is allowed to continue in his uninformed, brutal and crude methods of controlling the political space, the situation in Ebonyi may snowball beyond his imagination and the blood bath may result into a chain of other terrible events.
“We call on the Presidency, the National Security Agencies and the National Assembly to intervene into the Ebonyi debacle. Gov Umahi should be pressurized to return to the path of peaceful transition in Ebonyi which will usher in free and fair elections and preservation of human lives in the state.”