The leadership of Abia State Young Progressive Party (YPP) have warned that they will no longer tolerate any form of intimidation by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and her agents in the state.

Recall that ALL FACTS NEWSPAPER was the first to publish the incident that occured at Mbutu Nta Village of Njiko Umunna Autonomous Community in Ama Asaa Ward 5 of Osisioma Ngwa LGA where the an Eze Elect was captured on video threatening to shoot members of the YPP who were setting canopies to hold a meeting.

The Eze Elect, Chief John Elijah at a point in the video knelt down swearing that he will shoot anyone found holding any form of meeting. Claiming that the meeting will stop the state government from conferring the Eze of the community on him. WATCH VIDEO BELOW:

In the press release attached below, the State Publicity Secretary of YPP Bestman Eruba, Esq. gave full detail of what transpired.

PRESS RELEASE:

The Abia State Chapter of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) has received with dismay the news of the unfortunate disruption of our party meeting at Mbutu Nta Village of Njiko Umunna Autonomous Community in Ama Asaa Ward 5 of Osisioma Ngwa LGA, today by agents of the People’s Democratic Party led by the Honourable Councillor Representing Ward 5 in Osisioma Ngwa Legislative Council, Hon. Nnamdi Okoro acting allegedly on the instruction of the Honourable Member Representing Osisioma Ngwa North State Constituency and Former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Bishop Kennedy Njoku and ostensibly in collaboration with the Eze- Elect of Njiko Umunna Autonomous Community, Chief John Elijah who is the current Prime Minister of the Community.

This is the first video attached to this release shows the characters mentioned above at the premises of Mbutu Nta Council Hall where members of the YPP in Ward 5 had fixed their canopies outside the hall for their meeting when some boys came and destroyed all the canopies and chairs thereby stopping the meeting from holding at the venue.

When leaders of the party contacted our Candidate for the State Constituency to report the sad event, he sent a representative from the community to the arena who after seeing things for himself requested them to fix a new canopy, as the former rental personnel had refused to help them fix another set of canopies, chairs and tables because of the damages already incurred by the things destroyed.

They got a new rental outfit to set up new canopies when the PDP agents saw they were putting up another set of canopies, the Councillor of Ward 5, Hon. Nnamdi Okoro came with some thugs numbering 5 from Umuimo respectively from Amuzu, Mbutu and Ibeku Ngwa to destroy the new sets of canopies fixed for the meeting including the public address equipment. To avert the possibility of disorder, leaders of the YPP adviced the meeting location be changed to another venue.

At the end they meeting moved from the Council Hall environment to the Market, on the instructions of Hon. Iheanacho Nwogu, who insisted that he didn’t want violence as they moved to the Market the Eze- Elect now came with his own boys, destroyed the canopies, stopped the music and started threatening to shoot anybody he sees there if they don’t leave in 2 minutes time. This is seen in the second video.

Having failed to hold the meeting as a result of this criminal intimidation the meeting was adjourned to be held at a later date.

This graphic detail shows the daily ordeal of the Young Progressives Party in different Constituencies across the State, it is worrisome that this is happening ahead of the 2023 general elections even when the campaigns are yet to fully commence and it is very sad.

Therefore, call on Government, the Security Agencies and the Inter Party Advisory Council to call the People’s Democratic Party and its agents to order as the Young Progressives Party will not condone any further acts of criminal intimidation or oppression from any party or group of individuals whatsoever.

Government must guarantee every lawful association or organisation the freedom to exercise its legal responsibilities without let or hindrance. The political space in Abia State like in other states should be open for everyone to canvass support in furtherance of enshrined constitutional rights and in tandem with the provisions of the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines. No party whether in power or out of power should be allowed to monopolise the civil society or to use strange force against the other.

Therefore condemn today’s actions and call on relevant Government Authority to intervene and call the perpetrators to order to avoid a reoccurrence as the YPP will not hesitate to take legal measures to safeguard its members from the vile activities of desperate political machinery who do not mean well for the voting public.

Signed:

Bestman Eruba, Esq.

State Publicity Secretary of the Young Progressives Party ( Ypp Abia State).

Monday 29, August 2022.