By Izunna Okafor, Awka
It was an entirely dramatic election day at Osumenyi and part of Ezinifite in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State over the weekend during the long long-awaited by-election for the Anambra South District, culminating in arrays of confrontations, climaxed by a specially invoked heavy downpour that forced a prominent personality out of his house invoked for him.
The electioneering process, which was hitherto going on smoothly under a very nice and cozy weather across all the communities in Nnewi South, surprisingly turned dramatic, when a staunch supporter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the election, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu (popularly known as Ikukuoma) began to sweep around with over 30 convoys made up of heavily-armed security men, hefty bouncers, and few aides. This began shortly after he had cast his vote at the Dimala Village Hall Osumenyi.
The fleet of convoys arrived Awor Ezimuzor Hall in Anambra, where it was alleged that some suspected thugs following Ukachukwu bullied the State Commissioner for Environment, Engr. Felix Odimegwu, who hails from the area and had come out to cast his vote at the station.
It was alleged that Ukachukwu’s boys bullied the Commissioner, up to the point of assaulting him, while he (Ukachukwu) allegedly surrounded the polling station with his men thereafter, cornered the APC agents and some INEC officials into the Hall and began having an undisclosed discussion with them, which lasted for over 45 minutes. This secret discussion ensued after he had collected and examined some election documents from the INEC officials right there at the polling station.
Thereafter the Oga’s convoy left (though not without bundles of mint cash donations from the him, for undisclosed reasons). Its next arrival was at a scene near another polling station in Akabu Village, Osumenyi, where the bigger drama ensued — this time culminating in a heated confrontation between Ukachukwu and the Deputy Governor, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, who was on an inspection tour in parts of the State where by-elections were taking place, accompanied by some security operatives.
There at the scene, it was alleged that a man was sighted flaunting bundles of cash he was allegedly using to induce and settle the electorates for votes. He was also alleged to be positioned very close to the polling boot, thereby drawing the attention of some officials on ground, including that of the Deputy Governor, Dr. Ibezim, as well as that of the security operatives, who then approached him for questioning on the rationale behind his action.
However, upon interrogation, the suspect, identified as Mr. Marcel Andy Ukogu, an APC agent claimed that the said bundle of money, totalling about N200,000, was money he intended to use to pay for his children’s school fees. Given the suspiciousness of his claims and positioning, the suspect was commanded into a standby security vehicle for further investigation.
Coincidentally, however, the moment the suspect was commanded into the security vehicle was also the same moment that Prince Ukachukwu’s fleet of convoy was arriving the same venue; and he was immediately briefed by other party agents on ground, who told him what had just transpired. This prompted his immediate intervention as he anxiously rushed to the scene, and also ordered the blockage of the security vehicle carrying the apprehended party agent, to prevent it from leaving the scene.
Dramatically, the Deputy Governor’s vehicle and those of some other security operatives with him were all queued behind the blocked vehicle. And the stage got tightly set, as confrontations ensued. This culminated in the Deputy Governor asking for the unblocking of the road, which Ukachukwu vehemently opposed, insisting that the vehicle would not leave there. He also threatened to burn the Deputy Governor’s vehicle as the argument gradually heated up, with thugs raging and insisting that the agent must be released. In the cause of the argument, both Ukachukwu and the Deputy Governor also questioned the legality of each other’s presence at the place.
This dramatic scenario tarried for almost an hour, during which the Deputy Governor and his convoy were held hostage at the scene, as every initial attempt to broker peace failed, while the thugs kept raging. Acting on Oga’s directive, they vehemently refused to unblock the road. Even after the apprehended suspect was released, for peace to reign, peace did not still reign, as the thugs and Ukachukwu insisted that the arrestors must provide a sum of N200,000 and phones allegedly seized from the suspect when he was apprehended.
After getting back sum of N200,000 and his phones, the released suspect still claimed that his wristwatch and voters card were also missing.
These claims reignited and further fueled the pandemonium, as the thugs still in vehemently refused to unblock the road, still holding the Deputy Governor and his convoy hostage in the area. While all these were going on, they also issued serious and repeated warnings to journalists and other people around not to attempt recording or making video of what was happening there, while also threatening to deal with and crush the device of anyone who attempted to do so.
The drama continued till ‘Oga’ finally instructed that the road be unblocked, after which the Deputy Governor and his convoy finally passed. Thereafter, Ukachukwu’s convoy continued moving around from voting center to voting center within and outside his community, till they finally arrived the Awor Ezimuzor Hall, Ezinifite, for the second time, in a Commando style.
But by then, the operatives of Operation Udo Ga-Achị (Agụnechemba local security outfit) had already taken over the scene, fiercely gyrating, while Ukachukwu’s convoy stopped abruptly at the centre of the road, resulting in another long queue and unease in the entire area, a scene that played for over two hours. This tarried even to the point that many voters fled the scene, while many shop owner hurriedly locked their shops and rushed home as a result of fear of the unknown.
Although Ukachukwu didn’t alight from his vehicle anymore at the place throughout this scenario, his boys and security escorts jumped down upon arrival, and were perambulating round the convoy and the long queue if traffic throughout the period. The Udo Ga-Achị operatives shortly left the scene, but returned moments later, and continued their gyration, warning that no “nonsense” would be tolerated in the area.
Although their reason for storming the area was not specifically disclosed to the public, anonymous sources claimed that they were mobilized to the place shortly after reports of the initial encounter that ensued there that resulted in assaulting the Environment Commissioner, Engr. Odimegwu, as earlier mentioned in this report.
While the gyration was going on, youths of Awor Ezimuzor village in Ezinifite also trooped out and started expressing their rejection of Ukachukwu’s frequent perambulation in their community on that election day. Barely two hours into this inexplicable scenario, counting of vote commenced in the area, after which the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) won in the two polling units of the Hall, while APC came second.
While the vote counting, the gyration by Udo Ga-Achị operatives, and the stagnancy of Ukachukwu’s long convoy at the centre of the road were still on; convoy of the Heads of some security agencies in the state arrived the scene. This was a Police-led joint security patrol teams, comprising operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). The team, upon arrival, started asking questions and placating with the various groups.
Shortly after the vote count, which also nearly caused another brouhaha in the area over acclaimed invalid vote, Ukachukwu and his long convoy made a U-turn and zoomed off. He resumed his movement from one voting center to another, visiting both Mater Amabilis Secondary School, St. Anthony of Padua field (all in Osumenyi), after which he stormed the Eke Osumenyi Market and also halted his convoy at the centre of the road for undisclosed reasons.
While he did not openly announce the reason for the surprise stop, sources claimed that he intentionally did that, knowing full well that the Deputy Governor might likely go through that route. This inexplicable blockage also tarried for hours, to the point other road users got frustrated and started turning to take alternative routes.
The scenario remained unchanged till the Nnewi South Local Government Mayor, Hon. Van Gorge Ezeogidi, unannouncedly stormed the area with the fierce-looking Udo Ga-Achị operatives. Shortly after they arrived and swung into action to clear the traffic, Ukachukwu and some fleets in his convoy fled the scene through the Amichi road, leaving behind the journalists and some other people in vehicles that were going around with him.
The Deputy Governor also arrived the scene shortly, accompanied by the Local Government Mayor.
In the process of clearing up the traffic and apprehending some persons suspected to be involved in creating the scene, some journalists were also manhandled as suspects and Ukachukwu’s accomplices, even to the point that the operatives of Udo Ga-Achị blocked the journalists’ vehicles and all other vehicles now seen as suspects, especially those bearing the INEC “Election Duty” stickers.
This blockage stretched from near Centre Osumenyi Junction to the Eke Osumenyi Market. Some vehicles and occupants were even searched for any suspicious or implication item.
During this search, some files that contain tags and other identifying documents were seen. These were seized up, while the occupants of the vehicles, and even the journalists, were forced into their vehicle and notified that they would be driven to the Local Government Headquarters in Ukpor, where they would better identify themselves and explain their missions in the area.
This reporter, Izunna Okafor, intervened at the scene immediately to exonerate the journalists who were already locked up in their vehicle from further assault and from being driven to the local government headquarters, since they’re identifiable and were carrying out their official lawful duties. While this intervention was going on, Ukachukwu immediately stormed the scene again with his security men and bouncer.
Alighting from his vehicle, he was briefed by his agents, after which he ordered that those seized files should be returned to their owners, and also vowed that none of those vehicles initially following him or their occupants would be driven to the local government headquarters, including the journalists.
This turned even more dramatic when the raging Udo Ga-Achị operatives insisted that the vehicles and the occupants must be taken to the local government headquarters for investigation and further interrogations.
While this was going on along the Eke Osumenyi—Centre Road, the Udo Ga-Achị officer assigned to drive one of the seized vehicles and the occupants to the local government was about speeding off, while Ukachukwu rushed and stood in front of the vehicle, blocking it (with arms folded) and insisting that they would not go anywhere with the vehicles or the occupants. Although, before this time, and even before Ukachukwu’s arrival at the place, the Deputy Governor was no longer there, while the Local Government Mayor also left later.
The drama continued while Ukachukwu stood still in front of the vehicle, still making his argument and maintaining his stand, till when the Commander of the Udo Ga-Achị operatives in the operation finally instructed his men to release the vehicles and their occupants.
Thereafter, the released vehicles and their occupants re-joined Ukachukwu’s convoy and reportedly drove straight to his brother’s house, from where they later took off to his own house, all within Osumenyi. By this time, the result of the election was already becoming clear and was also visibly showing on his appearance, tone and movement.
When the people thought they had seen it all after the scene-filled day, the climax of the drama happened shortly after the Oga arrived his compound with his team to ruminate and take stock of the day. Immediately after he arrived, he settled on a plastic chair in front of his compound, while some journalists were also waiting at the compound to interview him.
Minutes later, it started drizzling, forcing the journalist to run into the veranda of one of the buildings in within compound to take shelter from the rain; only for the Oga to abandon his plastic chair and also rush to the same veranda and ordered everybody to leave and go outside to the canopy, stating that he wanted to be alone.
Shortly after this, while Oga was still visibly restless and making call after call, a heavy downpour started badgering in the compound and its environs immediately, distorting even calls and network connections.
At the peak of this, he immediately alerted his team to activate the convoy, rushed into his car, and fled back to Awka in the dead of the night. This reporter, Izunna Okafor, observed that the rain might have been specially invoked by rainmakers against the APC stalwart, given that it only badgered in that part of Osumenyi where his house is situated, while other neighbouring villages and communities remained dry and unaffected by the rain.
Available information also has it that the heavy rain abruptly seized after Oga left his hometown and fled to Awka, further buttressing the suspicion that the rain was specially invoked to cap up the entire drama of the day.
If this wasn’t divine drama or ancestral verdict, then perhaps it was simply nature reminding politicians that no matter how long their convoys, no one can block the highway of heaven when the clouds decide to vote. And this vote, indeed, counted.
More photos from the scenes: