“The gale of political violence being ignited by agents of state in Anambra, if not urgently arrested, will soon re-surface in Anambra State.” This is the summation contained in a strong worded press statement by the media consultant to Ifeanyi Ubah Campaign Organisation, Mr. Ayo Akinola.
This is sequel to the forceful and unlawful removal of the flex of the unipolar billboard of the Labour Party that has imposing electoral campaign advertisement of Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the oncoming election.
According to Akinola, the billboard, located in the central and conspicuous part of Onitsha ie the Upper Iweka Round about, is a unipolar with a mega advert of Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah.
“What is more worrisome,” said Akinola, “is that not only that the flex was removed, it was replaced with that of the APGA Governorship candidate in the same election, Mr. Willy Obiano”.
‘If not for the swift intervention of the Labour Party chieftains who were quickly alerted, the resultant violent effect of the action of Governor Peter Obi’s agents in this illegality would have been best imagined”. This, according to Akinola, is because youths in and around the immediate environment of the roundabout, sympathetic to Dr Ifeanyi Ubah, would have mobilized against the agents of Obi, who were used to perpetrate the illegality.
‘Immediately we were alerted, we rushed to the scene and we beheld a near massacre of our campaign board’s flex. We, however, appealed to the youths who were ready for a show-down on the agents sent by Governor Obi for the illegality. We appealed to them not to take laws into their hands because of the love they have for our candidate”. Akinola added.
One of the irate youths who identified himself as Kenneth declared in an angry tone: “Enough is enough. We have been in bondage for a long time. And now that the opportunity has presented itself with the coming onboard of Dr Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah to rescue us, we cannot sit down and watch the hawks take this opportunity from us. Obi is a tyrant and he cannot use the machinery of state to deny us information flow from Labour Party.”
But with the intervention of Labour Party chieftains led by the national chairman, Chief Dan Nwuanyanwu, accompanied by the state Chairman of the Party, Chief Sam Oraegbunam and the Deputy Governorship candidate, Dr. Emeka Eze, the charged situation was brought under control and the vandals from the Anambra Signage and Advertisement Agency were handed over to law enforcement agents.
“We implore all concerned stateholders, especially the Chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, to call Governor Peter Obi to order, so as not to turn this state to a zone for anarchy.” Akinola said.
Speaking in similar vein, the Party’s National Chairman, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu said, “if the state government does not want bill boards in the state, it should declare so and stop being petty. This is an illegality that will not stand the test of time”
The Deputy Governorship candidate, Dr. Emeka also stated that “we paid all dues and levies for the billboard. We cannot understand why the government is perpetrating this illegality. They should be called to order.”
