One Killed, Several Others Injured as APC’s Primary Election Turns Bloody in Ebonyi

By Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki

Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi has expressed great shock over the heavy shooting in Onueke,  Ezza South Local Government Area (LGA) headquarters between two factions of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in which one person was confirmed dead, while  many others including a policeman were severely injured and cautioned the party against instigating crisis in the peaceful state.

Umahi in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Emmanuel Uzor, further ordered security agencies to investigate the killing and bring the perpetrators and their sponsors to book,  adding that nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Ebonyi citizen.

The governor said he received the news of the heavy shooting in Onueke,  the venue for APC Ebonyi Central senatorial primaries from Port Harcourt and warned all political actors in the opposition party to play by the rules and eschew politics of destruction and bitterness.

“Governor Umahi recieved with great shock and disbelief the unfortunate and devilish shootings in Onueke,  the headquarters of Ezza South council area,  one of the venues for the APC factional senatorial primaries and has ordered full investigation into the incident and warned that his administration will no longer condone unnecessary and wanton killings of innocent citizens under whatever guise by the APC”

“He therefore warns that any politician who is being driven by inordinate ambition must play by the rules as his administration is poised on ensuring that all those whose hands were in the killings and destruction of both private and government property are severely dealt with in accordance with the law”

“Governor Umahi has always believed that nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Ebonyi citizen and for that,  saw the killing and destruction of vehicles by suspected APC militias in the state as provocative and warned that all political actors must play by the rules”

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has been conducting their primaries without any form of violence but to think that APC can not conduct themselves in a peaceful manner in their ambition is not only unfortunate but has further exposed their penchant for violence and destruction,” the statement explained.

The governor further disclosed that from available information, though still sketchy,  the shooting, which led to the death of one of the youths whose identity was not yet known, started when two factions loyal to a House of Representatives aspirant from Ikwo clashed with supporters of the former governorship aspirant of the same party who hails from Ezza North over who controlled the authentic delegates.