The Ebonyi State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has warned David Umahi, the incumbent governor of the state and the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against making inciting comments capable of overheating the state’s polity.
The PDP advised Umahi and the APC to “stop all divisive and inciting comments capable of overheating the polity as the Campaigns for the 2023 general Elections gathers momentum.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Chief Abia Onyike, director, media and publicity, AnyiChuks Campaign Organisation, campaign organisation of Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, the PDP governorship candidate in the state, the party noted that promoting divisions or harping on clannish and artificial differences between administrative zones and peoples as was done recently by Gov Umahi and other APC leaders during their campaign rallies at Izzi, Ikwo, Afikpo and Ohaukwu was the height of verbal incitement of one group against the other in the state.
According to Onyike, “Even the attack on the person and candidature of Sen. Dr Sam Ominyi Egwu, was uncalled for and provocative. Democracy does not limit any body from contesting elections and nobody has the legitimate authority to stop the electorate from voting for any candidate of their choice.”
Onyike continued, “APC should stop dividing Ebonyi State along sub-ethnic and primordial sentiments, as such a practice can become the nurturing ground for communal disturbances.
“Dr. Sam Egwu is a popular candidate for re-election into the Senate. Using such childish antics to cast aspersions on his candidature is a sign of political rascality which shows that the APC is not prepared for the 2023 Elections.
“The problem with the APC is that its authocratic imposition of candidates had robbed it of popular and acceptable candidates. It is this realization by some of the APC leaders that gave rise to these soap box rhetorics.
“As the ruling party in the state, one would have expected them to engage in issue-based campaigns. They should advertise their Development projects and create a favourable atmosphere for peaceful Campaigns and electioneering to take place.
“Their attitude of desperation and name-calling has shown that they are empty and have nothing to justify their quest for re-election as a political party.”
