Emeka Ejere|
There is palpable tension in Umuahia East State Constituency of Abia State ahead of the March 9 governorship and state assembly elections, as the embattled lawmaker representing Umuahia East, Chukwudi Apugo, is allegedly sending thugs after his opponents and threatening opposition supporters.
Apugo, who is of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is said to be desperately fighting for another term of office in violation of a standing zoning principle in the state constituency. Apugo is from Ibeku Ward, a ward that has taken a fair share of the state legislative representation.
The under-pressure lawmaker appears to have lost his mind following the decision of majority of the wards that make up constituency to withdraw their support from him over his refusal to honour a long-standing rotation formula agreed earlier.
Umuahia East State Constituency has a total of four wards: Ndume, Ibeku West, Ibeku East 1 and Ibeku East 2.
Findings revealed that since the return of democracy in 1999, Ndume Ward has never had a shot at the Abia State House of Assembly.
Whereas Ibeku East 1 had a shot in 1999 in the person of Hon Dan Ebogu, who did a four-year term from 1999 to 2003, Hon Chidiebere Nwoko from Ibeku East 2 took over from him and did three terms of 12 years, from 2003 – 2015.
Apugo, who is not willing to abide by the zoning arrangement, is said to be deploying threats and other techniques of desperation to ensure he clinches the position once again.
“We learned that Chukwudi Apugo has allegedly issued threats to the two persons: Rt Hon. Chidiebere Nwoko, Commissioner for Utility and Okezie Ogbudu, Ass ASEPA GM”, a source which pleaded anonymity told Alabingo.com.
“They were allegedly told to expect a fate worse than that of Ugochukwu Efem. It, therefore, beholds on the Abia State Government and security agencies to take necessary action”, the source also said.
Indeed, Hon. Chidi Nwoko confirmed in a chat with this publication that he was threatened by Chukwudi Apugo but assured that as a true son of the soil, he is not deterred by such threats.
Ugochuwu Efem, is a PDP ward chairman, who narrowly escaped death in the hands of men suspected to be thugs working for Apugo, on February 12, 3019.
Efem was said to have gone to Umuahia North LGA to see his ward members in order to guide them on the on-coming election, when the armed assailants numbering about four stormed the council and forced him into the boot of their Toyota car, taking him to an unknown destination.
Ugochukwu J.O & Co, solicitors to Efem have since petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 9 Headquarters, Umuahia, on behalf of their client.
The petition read in part: “Our client informed us that on the 12/02/2019 at about 12:30 pm, he went to Umuahia North LGA to see his ward members, as ward chairman he is, in order to guide them on the on-coming election.
“Surprisingly to him, some boys numbering about four, their names unknown but can be identified if seen, came into the council with one Toyota car, well armed with offensive weapons such as guns and machete forced him into the boot of their car and zoomed off to an unknown destination.
“They assaulted our client by striping him naked completely. The dumped our client in a corner while arguing what to do with him. It took the grace of God for our client to escape. He ran into the bush.
“It was a good Samaritan he met in her farm that gave him the wrapper to cover himself and it was also the woman who told him that where he was is called Okwoyi Ibeku, beside Torch Line Hotel, Umuahia.
“Following these ugly trends and threats to kill our client, he is now living in fear.”
Investigations by Alabingo.com also revealed that the root of the matter is that the people of Umuahia East State Constituency are generally discontented with the continuing domination of the constituency by the Apugo family.
Iyke Apugo was the ASEPA general manager for six years, while his younger brother, Chukwudi is the member representing Umuahia East State Constituency.
Yet, upon the exit of Iyke Apugo, from ASEPA, another of the Apugos, Okey Victor Apugo, was appointed as his replacement. Consequently, the people of Ndume have been crying marginalization since the inception of democracy in 1999.
This time, in the spirit of equity and fair play, every political party except the PDP, zoned their party ticket to the Ndume Ploc, otherwise known as Umudiawa. Whereas Chukwudi Apugo is the PDP House of Assembly candidate, the entire constituency have united against him and his party under the aegis of Umuahia East Renewal Movement.
The coalition is made up of Umudiawa, Eke-Connect and Ossah Patriotic Association (OPA), at a recent meeting adopted Mr Austine Ugochukwu Okezie Nmeregini of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as their consensus candidate to unseat Apugo at the poll.
Meanwhile, effort to have Apugo comment on the allegations proved abortive as he warned our reporter not to call his line again, threatening to send his number to the Department of State Securities, DSS, should he call again…
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