The Abia State Government has condemned in strong terms what it describes as the increasing harassment and intimidation of supporters of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu by security agencies.
The government’s position was stated during a media session in Lagos, by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Ikpeazu, Mr Godwin Adindu who described the actions as “unwarranted intimidation.”
According to the government, Tuesday’s invasion of the Aba residence of the Commissioner for Works, Eziuche Ubani, was the height of the regime of intimation launched shortly after the mass protest against the December 31, 2015 judgment of the Court of Appeal which upturned the election of Governor Ikpeazu.
On Wednesday, another leader of the protests, Mr Ginger Onwuribe, who is the Transition Chairman of Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, also had his residence invaded by security forces.
“This is an unwarranted intimidation. Government feels highly embarrassed by this action and demands an unreserved apology from the security agencies involved in the act,” Adindu said.
The state government said it felt highly embarrassed by the invasions and demanded unreserved apology from the security agencies involved in the actions.
It also urged those funding disturbances in the state to desist from their distractive activities as the government would not condone violence in any guise.
The operation on Hon Ubani was executed by a team from the Directorate of Security Service (DSS) who stormed the residence of the two-term House of Representatives member in six Hilux vans, and gained entrance by climbing the wall. The respected journalist was held hostage for four hours.
Government called on the judiciary not to collude with disgruntled politicians who never meant well for the state to deny over 400,000 voters their rights to choose their governor, following the cancellation of election in their areas by the Court of Appeal.
“Are they saying that the about 400 thousand electorates of Obingwa, Osisioma and Isiala Ngwa North are no more Nigerians who have the right to exercise their voting right?” Adindu asked.
The government said that the most plausible option in the circumstance would have been to order for fresh election in the disputed areas, rather than an outright cancellation of the votes.
It said that what the people of the state desired was good governance, which they had experienced in the first 200 days of Governor Ikpeazu.
“Abia State is not for sale and nobody should trifle with the destiny of the people,” Adindu cautioned. “All the people involved in this grand conspiracy to cause havoc in Abia and drag the state into anarchy and bloodshed should stay clear of Abia.”
He asked: “How could they (the justices) have ordered INEC to swear-in Mr. Alex Otti immediately after their pronouncement when they know that there is still a window of 14 days within which the governor has the right to appeal to the Supreme Court?”
He described the peaceful demonstration to the verdict in Aba and other parts of the state as a legitimate expression of the people’s will. His words: “There is a provision for such open show of disenchantment in our Constitution. The aim is to dramatise our anger over the Appeal Court ruling so that the entire world will know that injustice has been done to the people of Aba. Our people are conducting themselves within the ambit of the law.”
The government criticised the constitution of the Court of Appeal panel, recalling that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state had earlier raised alarm that all the five justices that constituted the election appeal panel were of the same Lagos division, contrary to the established tradition of having a mixture of justices from different divisions of the Court of Appeal.
“Lagos is where the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr Alex Otti, resides and does business,” Adindu said, adding that PDP had expressed fear of a possible compromise at the onset of the appeal by the APGA candidate who lost his case at the election tribunal.
