South East PDP raises concerns over safety of its leaders in Ebonyi

Southeast zone of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, raised concerns over Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi’s allegation that its leaders in the state were sponsoring cultists and the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The party said Umahi had listed its leaders in Ebonyi State including former President of the Senate, Anyim Pius Anyim, former Governor Sam Egwu, Senator Obinna Ogba, and Acting National Chairman of PDP, Southeast, Ali Odefa, among others, as sponsors of cultists and IPOB, to incite security agencies against them.

Speaking at a media briefing in the party’s Enugu zonal office, Odefa, also alleged intimidation of PDP members in Ebonyi State, stressing that no fewer than 11 persons had been killed in Abakaliki since Umahi defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Odefa, who was accompanied by other members of the zonal working committee, said he had threatened on November 27, 2020, during a press conference at Government House, Abakaliki, after defecting to the APC that lives would be lost in Ebonyi, stressing that such comments called for serious concerns.

He said: “It is instructive to call the attention of Nigerians to Governor Umahi’s schemes under the cloak of an allegation that leaders of the PDP in Ebonyi State were sponsors of cultists and IPOB.

“Governor Umahi knows that the PDP has since moved on after his defection to the APC and we urge him to move on and focus on playing his politics in his new party. It is not possible for him to be in the APC and run PDP’s affairs in Ebonyi. We will deploy every legal means to protect the sovereignty of our party from meddlesome interlopers.”

Odefa stressed that the PDP remained a firm believer in the freedom of choice of individuals and urged Governor Umahi to ‘live and let live’ in Ebonyi while admonishing him to stop labeling PDP supporters as sponsors of cultists and IPOB to incite security agencies against its members.

“Governor Umahi’s grand plan has been activated in his Ohaozara Council Area, where the Council Chairman alleged on Friday, December 3, 2020, that some PDP members and supporters in Ugwulangwu Community were the “masterminds and IPOB” members who attacked police stations in Ebonyi during the #EndSARS protests.

“As we speak, security operatives have arrested and taken away the innocent youths who are well known in Ugwulangwu Community as hardworking and responsible citizens on the orders of the council Chairman, who is a known proxy of Governor Umahi,” he added.

He, however, appealed to the party supporters to remain calm and urged security agencies to ensure that Ebonyi leaders with a track record of patriotic service to the Nigerian nation and the state, in particular, were protected from Umahi’s marauding foot soldiers who would stop at nothing to satisfy their pay master.