By Peter Okutu
The Director General, Ebonyi State People’s Democratic Party, PDP Campaign Council, Chief Austin Igwe Edeze, Sunday alleged that the All Progressive Congress, APC, had distributed over 1,500 AK 47 rifles to its agents to cause mayhem and guarantee the victory of the Party in the March 11, 2023, Governorship election in the State.
The DG further alleged that the guns were distributed four per each Ward across the State as the ruling Party was prepared to do whatever it took to secure electoral victory against all odds.
Briefing newsmen at the PDP Campaign Office in Abakaliki, Edeze emphasized that the PDP was robbed in the last Presidential election and would not allow such to repeat itself in the March 11th election.
“Having been robbed, am not sure we will be robbed again. We are aware that APC shared AK-47 rifles to the 171 Wards in the State. You can imagine how many we have in each ward. We have over 1,500 AK 47 rifles waiting to be used in the next election.
“We will not be silent. We shall protect our votes and we shall win. The PDP Governorship candidate must come out victorious in the March 11, 2023 election.”
He called on the security agencies in the State to step in and mop up arms and ammunition in the hands of hoodlums in the State.
Reacting to the allegation of arms being distributed to the APC agents in all the Wards in the State, the Publicity Secretary of the Party, Ebonyi State, Simbad Chidi Ogbuatu explained that the PDP was putting up such allegation because they were afraid of loosing the March 11th governorship election.
“It is very unfortunate that the PDP is scared of the forthcoming governorship election. It is only a Party that is scared that will go about accusing the ruling APC of distributing AK 47 rifles.
“It’s even the PDP that has done this, that’s why they even know the number of the guns. It’s obvious that they are scared of the election. We in APC believe in our campaign and the rule of law.”
Recounting the ordeal that befell the Party during the last Presidential election in the State, the Director General noted that two lives, one Ozemena Nkwuda and a Corper, were lost in Izzi Local Government Area of the State.
“Our experiences in the last election was not a news. The entire electoral process was marred with violence even as it was ought to be free and fair.
“In some of the polling booth like in Ndiogbu market square, electoral officers were about to upload results, men in Sienna buses came and fired into the air and made away with the materials, thereby disrupting the process of the elections.
“They came back and shoot a PDP member, Ozemena Nkwuda, dead. A corper that was shot and sustained injuries had also died.
“Two days ago, the Chairman of Izzi appealed to the family to allow late Ozemena be buried; we are saying that he must not be burned until the case is handled or investigated by the Police. The matter is now domiciled at the Police Headquarters.
“Police should take steps to mop up these arms and ammunition. Security agencies should mop up all these arms they have released for the election. We will ensure that our votes count and PDP carries the day. I will not fail to commend the Commissioner of Police, the DSS and the Army for their efforts so far.”
