The cyber space wake up to purported setting ablaze of the campaign vehicles belonging to The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in what they termed “attempt of violence by the opposition parties in the state”.
Though the pictures in circulation can hardly pass a forensic scrutiny, the PDP without waiting for the security agents to carry out any investigation has accused the opposition parties in the state.
In a swift reaction, the Campaign Office of The All Progressive Congress, APC has described the action of the PDP as an attempt to “elicit Public sympathy” which will not save their dwindling political fortune in the state.
In a statement by the spokesperson of the campaign organization, Mr Okey Ezirigwe, he frowned at the hasty conclusion of the PDP in accusing the opposition parties in the state and at the same time, alleging that they have reported the incident to the appropriate authorities
“We regret the hasty conclusion of the PDP that the fire incident was a case of arson involving the opposition parties in the state even when they acknowledged to have reported the incident to the appropriate authorities whom they Claimed they had implicit faith in their capacity to bring the culprits to book.”
Mr. Okey described as false, the claim by the PDP that they are the only one campaigning in the state stating that the APC is campaigning vigorously to win all the elections in the State.
“in reality, the only party campaigning towards the elections in Enugu State is the APC. We have done a highly successful zonal rally at Enugu North and Enugu East where we enlightened the people on the failings of the Ugwuanyi government, why it must be changed and the great alternative we bring. This is preparatory to our local government tours which are just about commencing . We are firing from all cylinders, Our governorship house-to-house campaign is going on, our Senate, Houses of Representatives and Assembly candidates are campaigning practically everyday in their wards and constituencies.”
The full statement reads;
The attention of Ayogu Eze Campaign Organisation has been drawn to a report on auto fire incident involving PDP campaign vehicles in Enugu and wish to deplore in very strong terms any act of arson or violence whatsoever perpetrated by any person or group in the name of politics. Much as we should sympathize with owners of the said vehicles over this undesirable conflagration and thank God no life was lost, we regret the hasty conclusion of the PDP that the fire incident was a case of arson involving the opposition parties in the state even when they acknowledged to have reported the incident to the appropriate authorities whom they Claimed they had implicit faith in their capacity to bring the culprits to book . We view this preemptive allegation with suspicion and are compelled to presume this was a self perpetrated arson involving the PDP aimed to elicit public sympathy over their wobbling reelection bid while painting the opposition parties in bad light .
We urge the police to take all necessary steps to unearth the people behind these creeping acts of violence, which appear to be coming as a foretaste of the unsavory broth being prepared for the people of Enugu State in the forthcoming elections by those desperate to retain the power that is rapidly slipping out off their hands.
The import of what the PDP release on the incident referred to as “..the apparent confusion in some opposition camps given that there is practically no attempt on their parts at campaigning to the Enugu electorate” and “this despicable resort to arson” is not lost on us. We have nothing to say to them on this except to once again urge the police to diligently investigate the matter to find out the true culprits.
However, we need remind members of the public that barely a month ago when the campaign office and vehicles of an acclaimed APC governorship aspirant, a known protege of the state governor who foots the bills of all his political activities, was set on fire, this same disingenuous attempt was made by agents of this government to blame the APC for the incident. But the allegation couldn’t go any farther as it turned out that the arson was contrived, processed, cooked and served on his own property by the said aspirant working in cahoots with agents of the state government all in desperate attempts to smear the image of our Principal who is an easy going peacefu man. It is on record that our principal is the only leading candidate to have publicly call for peaceful conducts by politicians in the State in the run-up to the elections.
The claim that ‘there is practically no attempt at campaigning’ on our part is another of their usual falsehood, in reality, the only party campaigning towards the elections in Enugu State is the APC. We have done a highly successful zonal rally at Enugu North and Enugu East where we enlightened the people on the failings of the Ugwuanyi government, why it must be changed and the great alternative we bring. This is preparatory to our local government tours which are just about commencing . We are firing from all cylinders, Our governorship house-to-house campaign is going on, our Senate, Houses of Representatives and Assembly candidates are campaigning practically everyday in their wards and constituencies.
On the other hand, what the embattled PDP has done is organise what they call ‘zonal meetings’ where their hordes of discredited, underperforming politicians simply gulp and empty kegs of palmwine but hardly telling the people what they have done or intend to do because they have nothing to show in all of their four years of uninterrupted bubbling and good-timing in government.
The attempt to tar the APC with the soot of violence will continue to fail. Because the people of Enugu State know very well which of the parties has subscribed to violence by recruiting extremely violent men into their fold as leaders. We have no doubt that it is these muscle men that are already scripting and directing these low-hanging acts of violence preparatory to full-blown mayhem by which they hope to win election having seen how very unpopular this government is.
On the other hand, there is no single Shady character in Enugu APC fold. Therefore, when it comes to violence and or men who are likely to perpetrate it in the forthcoming elections in Enugu State, APC is light while PDP is pitch darkness. This much is the truth and our people already know .
While we continue to remind the PDP in the state that elections should not be a do-or-die affair as they continued to recruit hardmen into their fold, we call on our teeming supporters to remain law abiding and continue focusing on campaigning for our candidates for the various elections, we Once again call on the police authorities to find the arsonists in our midst and expeditiously bring them to book. In that way, the hidden mischief would be exposed and the truth will be known .
Okey Ezirigwe,
Spokesman, Ayogu Eze Campaign Organisation.
