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Ebonyi: APC candidate gets 48-hour ultimatum over threat against Ezza clan

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru has been given a 48-hour deadline to retract his alleged threats against the members of the Ezza clan in the state and to apologise to them, according to the Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID).

The Ebonyi indigenes said it viewed, heard and read with utmost discontentment the utterances credited to Hon Nwifuru where he threatened the Ezza people to either vote for him or live to regret it, at the weekend’s flag-off of the APC’s Local Government Area rallies at the Onueke Township stadium, Ezza South LGA of the state.

The APC governorship candidate reportedly said: “Ezza people, you will regret it if you don’t vote for me. For the people of Ezza nation, listen; I said that you will regret it if you don’t vote for me because I believe in justice and equity as a son of the soil.

“This time around is the time for us to show capacity and how we can show capacity is to vote for APC; if you do not vote for APC, no other government will hand over power to Ezza nation. It’s only my government, that is if you vote massively for me, and I get over 100 per cent votes, I will then speak in your favour in the committee of the stakeholders of our great state.”

But responding to the alleged threat through a statement signed Monday in Abuja by the AEISCID President General, Amb Pascal Oluchchukwu, demanded an apology within 48 hours from the APC governorship candidate to the people of Ezza Ezekuna worldwide over what is considered an “insensitive and incendiary comments in their ancestral soil.”

According to Oluchukwu, the people are shocked but not surprised that what ought to have been a veritable platform and an opportunity to formally woo voters became for the APC candidate and his party time to intimidate, threaten and bully innocent Ebonyi electorates.

“For us in AEISCID, the clamour for equity and justice by Nwifuru and his APC team of “EmiLokan” apologists in Ebonyi- sort of a local brand of the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu who believes not in capacity, credibility or even competence but “It’s my turn”, his argument falls very flat on the ground going by the statistics and realities available to reasonable Ebonyians who have endured hardship under him as Speaker and Umahi as Governor. The realities on the ground are the major reason this body has insistent that only competent, capable and credible candidates can save the impoverished State in the 2023 general elections.

“Another reality we are aware of and which we would like to buttress here for those who may feign ignorantly is that the Izzi clan where Nwifuru hails from has even enjoyed more political privileges and opportunities in terms of appointments and elective positions than the people of Ezza Ezekuna. That’s why we believe strongly that he failed woefully in his argument and touting “equity and justice” during his threatening speech at Onueke Township stadium.

While urging the Ezza people to remain calm, the group threatened to sue the APC governorship candidate if he fails to apologise within 48 hours.

“Consequently, this group demands an apology within 48 hours from the APC Governorship candidate to the great people of Ezza Ezekuna worldwide over his insensitive and incendiary comments on their ancestral soil. Failure to do so, AEISCID will prepare lawyers to sue him for threats to lives and defamation of the character of the good people of Ezza nation.

“This group calls on the IGP and other security agencies in Nigeria to hold Umahi and his candidate, Nwifuru responsible and accountable for any unfortunate incident that may befall the great and peace-loving people of Ezza Ezekuna before, during and after the 2023 general elections. We make this assertion because the Speaker and APC candidate sounded clear that there appeared to be a plot to destabilize the peace of the land of Ezza. He ought to be thoroughly investigated and the threat not merely wished away, especially since he has no immunity whatsoever!

“In the meantime, we urge the people of Ezza Ezekuna worldwide and indeed, all Ebonyians who may have been assaulted, harassed, intimidated or threatened by the APC-led government, its candidates or an army of dangerous occupations in Ebonyi to please remain calm, peaceful, law-abiding and above all hope that if they do they right things by voting in the right candidates and rejecting the evil Party called APC in all the polls come February 25th and March 11th elections, they would have liberated themselves only with their PVCs against the forces of threats and intimidations.

“For those yet to collect their PVCs, they should seize the new window offered by the electoral body- INEC to go and get their PVCs and vote for only credible candidates whose manifesto and messages speak to issues and not candidates who speak, act or behave like highway political touts.”

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