APGA guber candidate’s convoy attacked in Ebonyi

The governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Professor Benard Ifeanyi Odoh, has accused Ebubeagu of attacking and shooting at his convoy in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State thereby damaging one of his cars.

The professor of geophysics disclosed this to newsmen in Abakaliki on Thursday.

According to Odoh, his convoy was attacked by men of Ebubeagu in Izzi Local Government Area of the state when he visited the area for his campaign.

He said, “Today, we scheduled a visit to Izzi local government because Izzi Local Government is part of the state. It’s one of the 13 local government areas in the state. We have our supporters there; we have our campaign office there.

“As earlier as 6 O’clock this morning, I started getting distress calls. One of our coordinators called and said the chairman of the local government called and warned him that no visit should take place in his local government and that he is under pressure from the government.

“The DPO also called, raised a similar alert, that he’s under enormous pressure, that we should not come. 

“I am the candidate of APGA in Ebonyi, Professor Benard Odoh, is my name. I am in this race to govern the whole local governments in the state. Therefore, if I cannot go to Izzi, then, I am not qualified to run for the election, and that is why I had to go to Izzi, defied all their orders and threats to go to the place.

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“We were confronted by the Ebubeagu team. They shot at one of our cars. You can see the glass shattered. We went there with official security men, the police and DSS operatives, and our campaign team.

“They have taken the war direct on us, and we want the world to know what is happening in Ebonyi.

“We are not cowards. We are not fools. Nobody can force anyone on anybody in Ebonyi, the people have the right to make choices of who becomes their leader. This is not how to run a democracy. We have a right to reach out to our people. I have a local government, we have Ezza North, Ezza Ezza South, Ishielu, and Ikwo. Will Nwifuru come there to campaign with this kind of behaviour?

“We are putting this out to the public, let them be aware that this is what has happened today. Thank God nobody was injured, but one of our cars was shattered with bullets.

Asked whether his mission to Izzi was accomplished, he said: “We met our people, although they locked our office. But we met our supporters and addressed them outside our office. 

“There are video clips of where they shot our car. We are going right now to make an official complaint to the police.”

Tribune Online contacted the state commander of Ebubeagu, Mr Friday Nnanna. In a telephone interview, he described the alleged attack as false. 

He said, “The attack on the APGA guber candidate convoy is a lie. Ebubeagu never attacked him. 

“Where was he attacked? Is it at the checking point?  On the road or where? Ebubeagu did not record any attack on any vehicle. Politicians are too terrible the attack allegation is false.” 

He then challenged the guber candidate to provide the vehicle that was shot by Ebubeagu. 

“The coordinator, Izzi Development Centre, Pascal Obia was shot in the laps by the DSS with the APGA guber candidate in Izzi.

“The coordinator’s vehicle was attacked and shot at by the DSS simply because the development centre coordinator has the sticker of the All Progressives Congress guber candidate Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru on his car. As I speak, three persons in the vehicle are currently receiving treatment at the hospital,” he said.