Enugu guber: Ekweremadu raises alarm over alleged attacks on supporters

The Director-General of Ikeoha Campaign Organisation (ICO), Charles Asogwa, has raised alarm over what he called the growing attacks on supporters of Ike Ekweremadu in Enugu.

Mr Asogwa disclosed this on Friday while briefing journalists on the controversy that trailed the delegates’ congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

ICO is the campaign organisation of the former deputy senate president, Mr Ekweremadu.

The lawmaker has indicated his intention to run for governor of the state in 2023 on the platform of the PDP.

On April 30, the party held its ward congress for the election of three-member ad-hoc delegates for its governorship primaries across the country.

The exercise in Enugu was, however, marred by violence with some party members, loyal to Mr Ekweremadu, receiving machete cuts.

Others were also reportedly manhandled with their phones and other devices confiscated by suspected hoodlums.

Mr Asogwa said some of the centres attacked by the hoodlums include, Awgu ward two and Oduma ward four in Aninri Council Area, Ugbaike, Enugu Ezike in Igbo-Eze North Council Area and Agba Umanna ward in Ezeagu Council Area.

The director-general stated that some of the hoodlums scaled the fence of his residence in Ede Oballa, Nsukka Local Government Area of the state in an attempt to attack him.

The ICO boss said the attacks were part of the unsuccessful attempts to scuttle the actual legitimate process by people who decided to “play against the rule” of the party and the country’s constitution.

“We call the attention of the nation to the appointment of known deadly thugs and cultists into state and local government offices all in the bid to intimidate and stop distinguished Senator Ike Ekweremadu,” Mr Asogwa said.

While expressing worry at the resurgence of attacks in the state, the director-general said the growing culture of political violence, cultism and banditry was condemnable.

He recalled that Mr Ekweremadu’s supporters had been attacked by the hoodlums on April 9, during a monthly meeting of the PDP members from Aninri Local Government Area, where the lawmaker hails from.

Mr Asogwa, who played video clips of the Aninri attack by the hoodlums, accused “agents of state” of being responsible for the attacks.

He regretted that the violence against their supporters has continued unabated despite being reported to the governor and security agencies.

He said the attacks were deliberate efforts to truncate the governorship ambition of Mr Ekweremadu in the 2023 general elections.

The director-general, however, called on the security agencies to “fish out and prosecute” all the perpetrators of violence in the state.

He also urged “all lovers of peace and democracy” to join hands to persuade the authorities to take the necessary and decisive steps to arrest the growing violence ahead of the party’s primaries and 2023 general elections in the state.

The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, when contacted, said he was not aware of any attack during the PDP congress.

Mr Ndukwe, however, said he would get confirmation from the police divisions where the attacks reportedly happened.

Mr Ekweremadu represents Enugu West Senatorial District in the Nigerian Senate.

The lawmaker, who has been in the Nigerian Senate for 19 years, is a member of the PDP.