Mr. Ilemona Ogwu, a youth leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi East senatorial district of Kogi State, has raised alarm over threat to his life.
Ilemona, in a statement by his media team, accused the chairman of Olamaboro LGA Friday Adejoh, known as Pexy, of recruiting thugs to attack him.
“Given the repeated assurances by President Muhammadu Buhari, INEC and heads of security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force on ensuring the integrity of the 2023 elections and safety of Nigerians, no one had the slightest inkling that some politicians in Imane, Olamaboro LGA of Kogi state would visit terror on innocent citizens,” the statement said.
“While voting was still ongoing earlier today, the Chairman of Olamaboro LGA Friday Adejoh known as Pexy recruited thugs to attack a popular and influential PDP youth leader in the community, in the person of Mr. Ilemona Ogwu for reasons best known to them. Pexy didn’t just stop at destroying the young man’s car, but openly threatened.
“We are not new to Pexy’s crude and dirty politics. We’ve taken all the necessary steps required of us to ensure the safety, protection and general well-being of Ilemona, including alerting our contacts in the Force HQs in Abuja as well as the DSS.
“We have documentary evidences of how Pexy chased after Ilemona and damaged his vehicle, only to run to town with a false narrative that Ilemona had imported political thugs into Imane to disrupt elections. This is a lie from the pit of hell. Pexy is scared of the crushing defeat that awaits his party in the ongoing election. We have reached out to prominent Imane sons and daughters to keep them abreast of Pexy’s threats should the APC record defeat in Olamaboro, especially Imane which is the largest district in the LGA.
“As we speak, we’ve not heard from Ilemona, as his lines have remained unreachable since Pexy attacked him in Imane earlier today.”
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had cancelled the voting process in seven polling units of Kogi East, amid widespread violence.
Two polling units were cancelled in Anyigba while the other five were in the Omala community of the state.
One of the polling units cancelled was Unit 01, Abejukolo ward in Omala Local Government Area.
The thugs who appeared with machetes and guns snatched ballot boxes, broke chairs and dispersed voters.
At Okabo primary school polling unit (Ofu), thugs bandying guns stopped people from voting.
Kogi East boils, ballot boxes snatched as INEC cancels 7 polling units
At Iboko-Efakwu ward, Ofu LGA. Voters were forced at gun point to vote for the APC
Similarly, at Agudoko in Anyigba, thugs going around freely destroyed voting areas, causing residents to scamper for safety.
Again, in Abejukolo, Omala, thugs shot indiscriminately, chasing voters away from the 7 polling units around ikagbo Gago Area in Aloji Ward.
At Agala unit, Anyigba PDP members are not allowed to vote by thugs suspected to be loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The thugs snatched boxes at UEC primary school Ugwolawo, and chased voters away at Anokwu in Anyigba.
In Dekina local government alone, over 50 polling units destroyed by the irate thugs.
It was alleged that APC took over the work of INEC officials in Dekina, writing and posting results by themselves without any PDP agents.
Still, at Uwowo polling unit, ballot boxes were snatched by APC thugs before votes were counted. The same scenario played out at Ogbogbo.
Meanwhile, operatives of the Nigerian Army on Saturday gunned down an unknown ballot thief at Ogege Road, Odaba polling unit in Dekina ward.