LG poll: Police avert youths clash in Enugu over defection

THE rivalry between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the December 2017 local government elections in Enugu State has taken a new dimension following the near-clash of supporters of the two political parties in Umuabi community in Udi Local Government Area on Wednesday evening.

Reports from the area said that a group of youths suspected to be loyal to PDP blocked a major road with logs of wood to prevent Ex-governor Sullivan Chime’s ally, Mr Charly Chime, from holding a rally at the community square for formal defection to APC.

But for quick intervention of policemen and other security operatives as well as leaders of APC in the state, youths of the community who frowned at the uncivilized action, had wanted to rise against the suspected youths.

However, few minutes after the logs were removed, Charly Chime, who was a former chairman of PDP and his followers, stormed the venue of the APC ceremony in a motorcade and were registered formally by the party officials.

Reacting to the development, State Chairman of APC, Dr Ben Nwoye said, “I think it is an unwarranted aggression by some grassroots supporters of PDP who were unreasonably apprehensive because APC Enugu State chapter is rising in fortune and fame on a daily basis.

“They resort to primitive acts by cutting down trees to stop a moving train, but the good news is that the leadership of APC and PDP in Enugu State met recently with security agencies and condemned all forms of violence, whether inter-party or intra-party and agreed on peaceful co-existence.

“Any supporter of either parties who engages in breach of peace or other criminal acts, will be prosecuted if caught. However, we all need to do more to get this massage to the grassroots so as to avoid arrest of such dastardly act.”

According to Nwoye, no amount of road bocks will prevent APC from taking over the government of Enugu state come 2019, adding that we are disciplined democrats. We believe in seeking governance through democratic process, those who are defecting from PDP to APC are doing so because they no longer believe in PDP ideology.

“They believe that APC provides a better platform for them to pursue their political aspiration, it is my responsibility therefore, as the chairman of the party at the state level to accept all defectors and provide them with a level playing ground,” Nwoye stated.

In his remarks at the event, ex- governor Chime condemned the act, describing it as “unfortunate and work of desperate politicians who are afraid of the inroads APC is making in the state”

He urged the people of the area and state in general to embrace the APC which he said, has come to stay in Nigeria, and remains the only political platform with which Ndigbo could realize their economic and political dreams.

The new entrant, who is also a close ally of the ex- governor, stated that he decided to embrace the APC because has forms party, PDP is gone.

He added that he strongly believed that the APC has the capacity to take Nigeria to the desired destination, calling on the people of the sate and his locality to start support the president Muhammadu Buhari led change mantra government.