The Labour Party Secretarait in Owerri, capital of Imo State, was on Monday attacked by hoodlums and some police personnel suspected to be carrying out the brief of the state government.
Obiora Ifoh, National Publicity Secretary of the party, who raised the alarm in Abuja, disclosed that the attack was carried out in the early hours if Monday, August 28.
According to Ifoh, the Imo State Chairman of the Labour Party, Barrister Callistus Ihejiagwa, had earlier sent an SOS to the public, urging Nigerians to come to the aid of the party while the Secretarait was under attack by over a hundred thugs, who were allegedly accompanied operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.
“In a voice mail sent to our party headquarters later, the state chairman of the party said, ‘We have been invaded by the thugs and policemen under the directives of Hope Uzodinma, they have pulled down all our flags, pulled down the banners of Peter Obi, pulled down the banners of our governorship candidate, seized People’s phone, beat people up, and committed all manners of atrocities just now in our office,” Ifoh said.
He added that when the state chairman confronted the assailants, they said they were under directives by the state government to pull the billboards of Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate, and Senator Athan Achonu, the party’s gubernatorial candidate for the November 11 poll in the state, but Obi’s billboard in particular.
“They were instructed to target Obi’s billboard everywhere in the city. One of the assaulted members of the party is presently hospitalised after the brutality meted at us. We are calling on the whole world to hear our predicament and come to our aid. The government is now hounding every opposition element in the state,“ Ifoh explained, quoting Ihejiagwa.
Speaking further, he cited the huge success of Achonu’s campaign flag-off last week, which had Obi in attendance as giving the the ruling APC government some jitters.
He said: “The sea of heads that graced the occasion is believed to have sent a shocking warning of what will happen in the November 11 governorship election in the state.
“You will also recall that the same secretariat was attacked in March and as well in April this year by the police in connivance with the state government.
“We are therefore calling on the state government to refrain from using brute force and intimidation against opposition political parties in the state.
“We are also calling on the Inspector General of the Police to caution the government of the state and order the police commissioner in the state to rise to the occasion and check any further intimidation of the Labour party and our members in the state.”
Observers have noted that the Governor Hope Uzodinma-led government is increasingly desperate, as there are obvious signs that he has lost touch with Imo residents, who are said to be tired of the spiralling violence and blooddhed across the state.
The fear that the Labour Party and its candidate, Achonu, is gaining much ground daily after surviving all evil schemes against his candidature is said to be giving the state government sleepless nights.
Achonu has successfully disabused people’s minds of the vile propaganda that he was paid to front for Uzodinma.
He has also scaled over purported court rulings paraded by sponsored former members of the party against his candidature. Added to this is the unprecedented crowd that turned out to witness his campaign flag-off, with Obi, Nigeria’s beacon of hope, Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, the party faithful and its members in the National Assembly in attendance.
Obi had given Uzodinma quit notice during the event.
According to a member of the party, “Uzodinma is obviously not happy with the quit notice but he has no choice but to start preparing his handover notes for Achonu, the incoming governor. He knows Achonu has the trump are a d that is why he is after the man as if he is the only candidate running against him in the election. Imo people cannot wait to see his back. It is desperation that is pushing him to the extreme.
“It is unfortunate, however, that the police in Imo have become a willing tool in his hands. Imo residents shall resist them frontally on November 11. One hopes the new Inspector General of Police, Egbetokun, would call his men in Imo to order.”
