APC Supporters disrupt Imo Governorship Debate
The supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Imo State on Tuesday allegedly disrupted the governorship debate organized by the Justice and Development Peace Committee (JDPC) of the Owerri Catholic Archdiocese.
Trouble was said to have started when a group of APC youths descended heavily on some women who were wearing black clothes suspected to be widows and started assaulting them.
Another group of youths suspected to be PDP members was said to have confronted the APC youths with red Cards which angered them to flay up. The APC youths were allegedly brandishing axes, cutlass and short guns at the venue of the programme.
The governorship candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, PDP Flag bearer, chief Emeka Ihedioha and Accord Party counterpart, Mr. Ken Ojiri have already taken their seats before the fracas erupted.
Daily Times gathered that APC chieftains including the State Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Development, Mr. Uche Nwosu, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Jude Ejiogu, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chief Chidi Ibeh allegedly led the APC supporters to the Maria Assumpta Cathedral venue of the debate and dished out the necessary directives.
While the moderator of the programme who flew in from Abuja was reading out the code of conduct for the debate, the member representing Ideato South in the State House of Assembly, the country home of the governor, Mr. Ikechukwu Amuka was said to have gone to the podium and snatched the eye glasses of the moderator and destroyed it as well as destroying the entire podium.
Briefing the newsmen the chairman of the JDPC, Rev. Father Casmir Nze alleged that some priests were assaulted including the Cathedral Administrator Rev. Fr. Alphonosus Oha, stressing that the teeming population over powered the security agencies.
“The JDPC has been organizing the governorship debates since 1999 to enable the candidates to sale their programmes to the public and we don’t know why this year’s debate is now a different one”.
The Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Most Rev. Anthony Obinna who later came to inspect the level of destruction prayed for peaceful elections and expressed happiness that no life was lost during the fracas.
Daily Times reports that the State Government directed all public secondary schools in Owerri, the state capital to be closed and students to proceed to the venue of the debate. The students were armed with brooms chanting songs Rochas we know, Rochas we know”.
After the fracas, the APC supporter went to the streets of Owerri tearing all available posters of their perceived opposition.
Reacting at a press Campaign organization Director-general Rochas Campaign Organization Chief Iheukwumere Alaribe blamed the disruption on the supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alleging that the PDP governorship candidate came to the venue with over 500 thugs.
He distanced APC supporters of any action that disrupted the governorship debate organized by the church.
Meanwhile, the PDP Governorship candidate Chief Ihedioha has denied that his party was involved in any act of indiscipline saying that Gov. Okorocha and his APC Supporters have been fermenting trouble in the state.
