The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has alleged that the Governor Hope Uzodinma administration was behind attack on its House of Representatives candidate, Chief Ikenga Ugochinyere on Saturday.
The PDP therefore is alerting the security Agencies, Nigerians, the International Community to what it described as sponsored killings and arson which happened at the Akokwa residence of Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the Party’s candidate for Ideato North/South Federal Constituency in the 2023 election.
Chief Ugochinyere’s home was attacked in the afternoon on Saturday where there was shooting for nearly 30 minutes with an undisclosed number of persons reportedly killed including an uncle of the politician, buildings and a number of vehicles razed in the process.
The PDP in Imo State however, described the unfortunate incident as “a well-coordinated armed attack at the Akokwa residence of Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the candidate of our Party for Ideato North/South Federal Constituency.”
Collins Opurozor, the Imo State Publicity Secretary of the PDP said in a statement
that there was an earlier attack on the convoy of the candidate “by clearly-identified agents of the Imo State Government”.
While the attack lasted, the PDP feared for the worse.
Opurozor said: “Our efforts to get back to our candidate, Ikenga Ugochinyere, who was present at his residence when this attack began and who had personally alerted us to the attack, has proven abortive.
“However, a torrent of messages, a while ago, from Ikenga’s close aides bore some deeply pathetic lines like: “Everywhere is on fire! They are killing us! We are going going!”
Imo PDP therefore called on security agencies to immediately intervene and quell the attack on its candidate and it’s Party members at his residence in Akokwa.
The Imo State PDP Spokesperson said: “Nigerians and international community are to recall that on December 23, 2022, there was an attack on the convoy of our candidate by clearly-identified agents of the Imo State Government.
“It is shocking that despite our demand for the arrest and prosecute of those involved in that onslaught, nothing has been done by the security till this moment.
“Today represents a dark day for us in Imo PDP and Imo State at large.”