Leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Enugu State have condemned alleged attack on party members and destruction of canopies and plastic seats by alleged agents of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in an attempt to forestall a reception rally for defectors into APC at St. Charles Catholic Church field, Opi, Nsukka at the weekend.
The party leaders, including Minister of Innovation Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji; the state party chairman, Barr Ugochukwu Agballah; three members of the House of Representatives: Hon Sunday Umeha (Udi/Ezeagu), Hon. Chimobi Atu (Enugu North/Enugu South), Hon. Prof. Paul Nnamchi (Enugu East/Isiguzo); and former Commissioner for Lands in the state, Barr Peter Okonkwo, Ohamadike, gave the Enugu State government and the PDP 24 hours to Condemn or admit responsibility for the unprovoked attack.
Despite the attacks, the party leaders rallied members to receive more than 1000 decampees from PDP, Labour Party (LP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), African Democratic Party (ADP) and Young Progressives Party (YPP) into the APC.
Speaking at the event, Minister Nnaji praised the determination of people of Nsukka and the defectors for standing their ground, and assured the defectors that their decision to join APC was the best decision they have taken politically.
“So we thank all of you for this wonderful gathering, we are not afraid of anybody, we fear nobody. If they like to let them come here 10 times, it will not deter anybody from coming to do our rally. And I thank Nsukka people, despite all the harassment, you are still able to come here in your thousands to come and welcome us.
“We are here to receive our people who are joining our party, APC, the party at the federal level. Our people say that it’s when one raises his mouth that one receives food.
“Our people are not in APC and we are making it possible by what we are doing for our people; by the capacity the president is showing, by the infrastructure the president is bringing into Enugu state, we are making it work for our people.
“It is on the mandate of Mr. President that we have been able to give a lot of employment to our people. It’s on the mandate of our people and the president of this country that we are able to build two major roads into and out of Nsukka.
“It’s on the mandate of the people that today we can boast that an Nsukka man is the Vice Chancellor of University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). It’s the president that is doing all these things for us, and we say thank you to the President and Commander – in- Chief President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the minister said.
Nnaji stated that the problem in Enugu state was that some people were trying to reap where they did not sow, noting that “somebody inherited a vibrant party like PDP and within two years he destroyed PDP and is now trying to defect to another party.”
On his part, a major stakeholder of APC in Nsukka (Enugu North) senatorial district and former Commissioner for Housing in the State, Barr Peter Okonkwo, Ohamadike, recounted how the venue was attacked three times with sporadic shooting in the air, while the people remained resilient.
“Honourable Minister, let me officially tell you that Enugu state government militia known as Neighbourhood Watch, known as Forest Guard, attacked this gathering here three times today.
“They came the first time they attacked us, we were so resilient, we regrouped again and came back. They attacked us, we were so resilient and we are here again. They destroyed properties worth millions in this attack, they assaulted people, they wounded people, they were shooting double-barreled guns against our people.
“The poster of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was torn to pieces, defaced and destroyed. They are attacking us with the state militia because we insisted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must do his second term.
“Are we shifting ground? Nooo! Let me send a loud message and clearly, the state government should be prepared to attack us more. The more they attack us, the more we go for President Ahmed Tinubu, the more they shoot at us with double-barreled guns, the more we go for Bola Ahmed Tinubu. After three consecutive attacks and this teeming population here, these masses, these women still came back to this arena to support the second tenure of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Hon Minister, if you get back, tell Mr. President that the Nsukka zone of Enugu state is willing to take more bullets for him,” he stated.
The state chairman of APC, Barr. Agballah received the more than 1000 defectors and handed them brooms, the symbol of the party.
Agballah decried what he described as the same pattern of attack, recalling that the party was similarly attacked at Aboh in Udi local government and Ogrute in Igbo-Eze North local government area respectively and in each case, the party had to change the venue of their reception rally; noting that this time around, they resisted the attackers and remained at the venue.
The House of Rep members, Umeha, Atu and Nnamchi gave the state government 24 hours to condemn or admit to the attacks.
They quoted a statement credited to late military dictator, Gen Sani Abacha to the effect that when an insurgency or crime lasts more than 24 hours without the culprits being apprehended and treated according to the law, then the government must have been responsible for such a dastardly act.
The federal lawmakers stated that it was time that Enugu and Ndigbo connected to the centre citing the benefits to include a recent federal university signed into law to be sited at Ako Nike in Enugu state, among several other projects and tertiary institutions sited in different parts of South East under President Tinubu’s administration.
