The Senior Special Adviser to the Governor of Enugu State on New Media, Dr Reuben Onyishi, Monday, called on the state wings of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party to put their houses in order, and stop blaming the APC-led state for recent attacks at their various ward meetings.
Onyishi spoke in Enugu while reacting to allegations by the spokesman of the guber candidate of the NDC, Mr Samson Ugwu, that “the body language of the APC-led state government shows the state is behind the attacks”. Both featured during a live radio programme hosted by Enugu-based Dream FM.
Onyishi said, “It is unfortunate. APC doesn’t know anything about the attacks. NDC has issues even during their primaries, including court cases. APC chairman, Nkanu West, has issued a statement stating clearly that APC doesn’t know anything about the attacks. How can we go and be shooting people?”
He said APC in the state has structures, and has no reason to disrupt opposition parties’ meetings because “the state governor has no reason to panic about his victory come 2027”. Quoting his, “NDC is not a threat to APC. This is a matter that happened within the wards. They say the governor should have condemned it. They should allow the police to do the investigation. It would be found out that it is an internal thing. APC has the structure, and His Excellency is organised, and developing Enugu State objectively. They have issues at Obuoffia. They should stop pointing accusing finders.”
Ugwu, however, said the series of attacks on NDC started before last Saturday’s incident, and regretted that there has not been any statement from the state to that effect, or arrest by the police.
In his words, “We know those behind it, given the body language of the state. We’re not putting the blame on anybody, but we had expected that by now, Enugu State Police Command should have arrested even one person. The command only issued a statement. The governor has not released any official statement. Nkanu West LG chairman hasn’t done the same. I don’t know why the APC is rattled. The governor is the chief security officer of the state. This is not the first time attacks on NDC facilities are happening in the state. Our House of Reps candidate’s campaign offices at Agbani and Ugbawka were vandalised days before the one that happened at Obuoffia. There was another attack at Obe. Millions of materials were destroyed. It appears to be coordinated attacks. And 48 hours, no arrest has been made.”
He called for proactive measures to curtail future occurrences. According to him, “not arresting the suspects can embolden the culprits that they can attack and go freely. It is worrisome.”
It was gathered that Obuoffia is the country home of NDC’s guber candidate, Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa, while Akpugo is the home of the PDP’s candidate, Chief Uche Nnaji. Both, as well as incumbent Governor Peter Mbah, are of the Nkanu land.
