The Enugu State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba over what it described as inciting political statement by the senator-elect for Enugu North senatorial district, Chief Okey Ezea.
Ezea, who is candidate of the Labour Party is alleged to have described the March 11 governorship poll in the state as do-or-die affair in his Enugu North district while addressing his supporters at his Itchi country home in Igboeze South LGA of the state.
The PDP in the petition signed by the state secretary of the party, Mr. Cletus Akalusi called for Ezea’s arrest and prosecution for threats and incitement to violence.
“We of the PDP, Enugu State chapter, hereby make a report and bring to your esteemed attention the serious tension within Enugu State following the very inflammatory statements made by one Mr Okey Ezea, the Senator-elect, Enugu North Senatorial Zone, on the platform of the Labour Party. He made the offensive statements while addressing his supporters at his Itchi country home in Igboeze South LGA of the state, where he described the forthcoming governorship election in the State as ‘a do-or-die game’ in Enugu North Senatorial District.
To quote him more specifically, he said: ‘The March 11th election is a straight fight between Nsukka and Nkanu to know who is bigger than the other because Nkanu people want to turn us, the majority, to minority. So, you must prepare very well. You must make sure the directive goes round. This is about Nsukka. Young men, please, you must prepare yourselves very well. We are going into a war on March 11th and it is a do or die game.
“Nobody can come from outside to use Nkanu votes to intimidate us here’.
“These threats of and incitement to violence were made without any provocation and obviously represent a first step in the pack of plots to unleash mayhem on unsuspecting citizens of Enugu State on Election Day.
“A video of Mr. Ezea making these assertions has gone viral on social media platforms and has instilled fear and panic among our teeming supporters in Enugu North Senatorial Zone in particular and Enugu State in general of the likelihood of violence on the day of the governorship election.