The Labour Party gubernatorial candidate in Enugu State, Chijioke Edeoga, has accused the state government of planning to empower thugs loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party with ammunitions to frustrate the March 18 elections in the state.
According to the politician, who raised the alarm on Sunday, there is an urgent need for the Federal Government to conduct an audit of the guns approved for vigilante security services in the state.
He said failure to do that might lead to what he described as “a war” on the people of the state.
The governorship-hopeful alleged that the plans of the PDP in the state is to use suppression, thuggery, and manipulation of election results to rig the elections, especially because the party had lost its grip at the National Assembly elections.
Speaking further, the former chairman, House Committee on Information, House of Representatives alleged that staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission are accomplices of the saboteurs, who had plan to cause delays in the distribution of electoral materials as witnessed during the presidential election.
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“From the look of things, what the Peoples Democratic Party is preparing for is not an election, but a war. It is a war against the people of the state, a war against democratic progress in Nigeria, and a war against the popular will of the people. We are making this call because we are also aware that these men are being armed and prepared to operate freely, appearing in Police, Army and Civil Defence uniforms, a decoy that would enable free movement across the state and to all areas targeted for their planned attacks,” he said.
He listed the LGAs the alleged saboteurs have planned to unleash mayhem as Isi Uzo, Uzo Uwani, Igbo Eze North, Igbo Eze South and Udenu and some parts of the state capital.
“Areas being specifically targeted for attacks and delays in the deployment of materials by thugs in Enugu metropolis include Okpara Square, School of Dental Technology, Achara Layout Primary School, Idaw River Primary School and Igbariam Primary School, all in Enugu. For Isi Uzo, Uzo Uwani, Igbo Eze North, Igbo Eze South and Udenu Local Government Areas, we have been reliably informed that the Council Chairmen for these council areas have all hired thugs and already harbouring them in some hotels and residences of senior party officials in their respective areas,” he said.
The politician added that, “We are aware that weapons, which were legitimately acquired by the Enugu State Government for use by the Enugu State Vigilante Services and the Forest Guards to support the efforts of the conventional security agencies in protecting lives and property in the state, are currently being distributed to political party thugs for use in destabilising the electoral process on Saturday.
“These thugs numbering in their hundreds have been aggregated from various places in and outside Enugu State to spread mayhem, fear, intimidation and even summary executions to feed the desperate and inordinate ambitions of people, whose only will is to win elections.”