The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the November 8 Governorship Election in Anambra State, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu is demanding the total overhaul of the leadership of the State Police Command, over what he described as their partisan role in Saturday’s by-elections in Anambra State.
Ukachukwu made the call mid-Sunday night during a World Press Conference held at the State APC headquarters in Awka, on the heels of the elections.
In both elections held for Anambra South Senatorial zone and Onitsha North Constituency One, the candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA emerged victorious.
Over the weekend, viral videos had emerged, showing Ukachukwu in an altercation with the deputy-governor of the State, Dr Onyeka Ibezim, during the Anambra South Senatorial Election at Osumenyi in Nnewi South Council Area of the state, where the guber aspirant hails from.
Addressing journalists during the press conference, Ukachukwu explained that he accosted the deputy-governor, who had no business moving around outside his senatorial zone during an election.
He alleged that the deputy-governor, working in concert with security agents, had arrested some voters in his community, collected their phones and monies, and was about to escape, when he accosted him and demanded that those arrested should be released immediately.
Ukachukwu also alleged that the state government deployed operatives of the state security outfit, ‘Agunechemba’ to intimidate and harass APC supporters during the election, regretting the silence of the Police over the incident, even when they were alerted.
“I alerted the Commissioner of Police to come and witness what the Agunechemba and Udo Ga Achi operatives were doing, in violation of the Electoral Act, but it was only excuses that I got.
“During a pre-election engagement, it was agreed that Udo Gachi and Agunechemba operatives would not participate in the election and will remain in their camps.
“But during the election, they were seen arresting APC agents, canvassers and stakeholders, beating and harassing voters.
“Till now, we have not hear that any arrests were made and the Police have not done anything about it. So, we have course to believe that it was a well-orchestrated plan.
“If it were to be APC that did this, they will accuse the party of using its powers unduly.
“The worst was the action of the deputy-governor, who was collecting people’s phones, their money and other things.
“If not that I directed my security operatives to stand down when the Udo Gachi people came in their droves, it would have resulted in a lot of casualties,” he stated.
Ukachukwu warned that if the police does not do anything to restrict the involvement of the state vigilante operatives during elections, they will have no other option than to take laws into their own hands.
He queried Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s claims of the APGA being popular in the state, if he could resort to using violence to suppress the will of the people.
“We are calling on the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, to take into account, what happened during the by-elections urgently.
“There is need to also overhaul the security apparatus of the state because they have been compromised.
“We want elections to be free and fair, and with these crop of people at the helm of affairs in the state police command, we cannot achieve that,” Ukachukwu regretted.
Also speaking, the State Chairman of the APC, Chief Basil Ejidike regretted the violence that characterized Saturday’s by-elections in the state, saying democracy is being threatened by the way the state government deployed security operatives against the people.
He alleged that most of the results declared by the electoral body were false and manipulated, saying that some of the presiding officers were waylaid and the electoral materials were collected from them.
Ejidike revealed that the APC candidate for the by-election in Anambra South Senatorial zone, Chief Azuka Okwuosa was held hostage by state-sponsored security operatives and the Police in his house at Oraifite, while they perpetrated all kinds of electoral malpractices.
He also disclosed that Senator Uche Ekwunife, the deputy-governorship candidate of the APC, was also held hostage in her house at Nri in Anaocha LGA, while the election happened
“We have also received with sadness, the news of the killing of the Chairman of APC, Nri Ward 2 by security operatives.
“These are worrying signs for us and we call on the authorities to wade into the matter and ensure that all those responsible are brought to book.
