The last is yet to be heard on the alleged attack on the 2015 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Enugu State, Barr. Okey Ezea.
DAILY POST reports that he was alleged to have been attacked during the November 4 local government election in the State.
The leadership of the APC in the State raised the alarm through its chairman, Barr. Ben Nwoye who called for the immediate arrest of the Enugu State Commissioner for transport, Hon. Vitus Okechi and the vice-chairman elect of Igbo-Eze South Council Area, Hon. Sunday Ajogwu for allegedly masterminding the said attack.
However, PDP leaders in Igbo-Eze South not only dismissed Nwoye’s allegations, but warned that it would drag the party to court over defamation of character. They went further to state that Ezea had over the years involved himself in election violence.
Consequently, the APC has expressed its readiness to meet the PDP in court.
The APC equally accused Hon. Pat Asadu representing Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South federal constituency as one of those behind the said attack.
Leaders of the APC in Enugu North Senatorial zone, at a press briefing in Enugu on Saturday, said it was not afraid of being dragged to court over the matter, stressing that it would afford it the opportunity to expose all those involved in the alleged attack on Ezea.
Those at the press briefing included: the Enugu North zonal secretary of the APC, Mr. Sylvester Eze, the assistant state youth leader, Idoko Emmanuel, the local government chairmanship candidate of the party in the November LG election, Okenyi Jonas and the party’s secretary in Igbo-Eze South, Ubah Uthman Onah.
Eze said it was shocking when they read the PDP’s denial of the attack.
According to him, “We are not here to join issues with the PDP but to state the facts; I think the PDP are afraid of their shadows; how can they say they did not attack Okey Ezea; who took Okey Ezea to the local government headquarters where he was beaten thoroughly?
“Why are they running away from the truth? I thought they are bold people. It is obvious they want to intimidate everybody in Igbo-Eze South.
“We want to restate that this incident happened in the full glare of the public; there were gun-carrying youths, more than 70 of them, under the command of the commissioner.
“They were chasing us out of the local government that day as if we are not indigenes of the local government; that place belongs to all of us.
“They said Ezea came in and started slapping people. Who did he slap? Let them tell us one. Who did he matchet? Let them tell us one.
“They abducted Okey Ezea and took him away. We know what happened. It is just that the police are not doing their work; otherwise they are supposed to have arrested these people before now. They are talking because they have the mouth to talk.
“I heard they are threatening to go to court; can they do it? If they want to go to court, we are ready. Which defamation are they talking about? Let them go to court and we will expose everything.”
Also speaking, Idoko, who is also the zonal youth leader of the party, said he witnessed the attack.
He alleged that Ezea escaped death by the whiskers.
He claimed that “They were all carrying guns and my greatest shock is that even policemen that were there could not rescue Ezea. He was discussing with about five policemen before he was abducted. They were shooting here and there.
“I was the one that called the APC State chairman, Barr. Ben Nwoye and so many others. At the end, he came back alive but we was seriously tortured. It was Emeka Madu that stopped them from killing him.
“Even the Hon. Pat Asadu, the Reps member from our area was there. When they brought him into the local government, Asadu left. He was behind the entire plot.
“Quote me, Idoko Emmanuel, Hon. Pat Asadu plotted the entire episode; it is all about 2019. He wants to be the only leader in Igbo-Eze South. So, he wants to take Okey Ezea away. If he succeeds, who talks again in Igbo-Eze South?
“We are calling on the police not to sweep this under the carpet. They should look into this because we wonder what 2019 election will look like.
“Our lives are now at stake; very much at stake. Even if I die tomorrow, I know those to be held responsible. I can’t even go to my village again. Somebody called me that election day, that I’m the next target.
“So, we are calling on the police to stop paying lip-service to this issue. It should be given the serious attention it deserves.”
When contacted, an aide to Asadu, Mr. Chineme Onyeke said it was out of place for anyone to link the lawmaker with the reported attack.
While dismissing the reported attack he said, “Hon. Asadu is not in the country at the moment; but I can tell you that no such thing happened. Asadu was not a candidate in the local government election. He was just a voter.
“He never ordered attack on anybody and never witnessed any such attack. He does not involve himself in such things. Of what gain will it be to him? The local government election was held over two weeks ago, and some people just woke up now and started bringing up stories.
“Why have they not reported it to the police or any other security agency. The public should just ignore these allegations.”
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