‘Disgruntled Abia Politicians Behind Frivolous Petitions’

By Emmanuel Ugwu, in Umuahia
 

The frivolous and inciting petitions flying about in Abia have been linked to some “unhappy and insatiable politicians” who are bent on inciting the security agencies against their perceived opponents. 

This was made known by a youth organisation, Ochendo Youth Foundation (OYF) which in a statement issued by its president, Kingsley Chikwem, noted that the main targets of the petitions were Senator Theodore Orji and the majority leader of Abia State House of Assembly, Hon Chinedum Orji. 

According to the group, the petitioners had previously “failed in all their plots to smear, defame and incite the people” against the former governor and his son and “have now hatched a plan to hoodwink the security agencies into hasty swooping and harassment” of Abia’s famous political family 

The OYF stated that the petitions were replete “with many fictitious offences ranging from voters card buying, drug and gun running to other unimaginable charges”, adding that the trumped-up offences were . 

However the youth organisation urged the Abia Central senator not to be deterred by the antics of failed politicians as his achievements so far in the Senate were enough testimony to defeat his opponents any day. 

The OYF said that with the manifest desperation of Ochendo’s opponents to undo him by every means the Senator should be vigilant and “gird your loins, beef up your security as to be fully alert and not fall prey to such gimmicks”. 

It pointed out that the same strategy of blackmail and smear campaign had been used on the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, and may be employed on other Igbo lawmakers on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). 

“We shall not give in to such cheap blackmail to let them achieve what they failed to get through the ballot boxes. It should not deter you from the outstanding work you are doing,” the group said. 

It further noted that since there was no doubt that Ochendo went to the Senate with the mandate of the people anybody or group that want to remove him “should do so through the constitutional means via the ballots.” 

To forestall the possibility of desperate politicians and their agents planting incriminating objects at the homes of both Senator Orji and Engr. Chinedum Orji, the members of the youth organization said that they would commence round the clock around the residences of the . 

“We will sacrifice our lives to see that you are not humiliated as detractors are planning,” the OYF said.