...Accuse APC of hiring thugs to destroy posters of opposition parties
From Kelechi Nwoba
Following the continuous violent approach towards the 2023 polls in Ebonyi, residents of the state have condemned the destruction of the campaign billboards and posters of candidates of the opposition parties.
Our landslide sources revealed on Monday that apart from the seemingly endless destruction of the campaign billboards in the Abakaliki metropolitan area, the ruling party in the state has allegedly hired thugs and charged them to pull and burn down every poster of the opposition parties in their respective towns and communities.
According to Pastor John Onwe, "some APC thugs have burnt the posters of Mr Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in Ebonyi State."
The Cleric who was visibly annoyed over the act further told Journalists that the burnt posters by the alleged thugs of the ruling party in the state were containing pictures of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Ebonyi Labour Party gubernatorial candidate - Edward Nkwegu (EDON), the Labour Party candidate for Abakaliki/Izzi Federal Constituency - Dr Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh (Immaculate) and the Labour Party candidate for Izzi West State Constituency - Obinna Nwofoke.
Pastor Onwe added that the thugs tore and burnt the poster at Oferekpe Ezza Inyimagu in Izzi Local Government Area which is the state constituency of the Ebonyi APC gubernatorial candidate, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.
Several Ebonyi citizens especially those from the Izzi West Constituency who spoke in order of anonymity condemned the act, as they forwarded the already torn posters by the suspected ruling party thugs to our newsmen.
"Destroying campaign posters or billboards of any candidate is not good. This will give room to violence and even, killings because the posters being destroyed are money and human sweat.
"It's a thing of concern as the APC in Ebonyi state has been associated with lots of violence in the forthcoming elections," one of the sources said.
Also, the Ebonyi gubernatorial candidate, Arc Edward Nkwegu has condemned this act and called on security agencies for a thorough investigation to bring the culprits to book to serve as a deterrent to others.
NATIONAL PANEL sought responses from the State APC spokesperson, Simbad Ogbuatu but he did not pick up our phone calls while filing this report.
