The Ebonyi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has denied the allegation by National Assembly members from the state elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party that Governor David Umahi armed political thugs and cultists with weapons to unleash attacks on the PDP members in the state.
The National Assembly caucus led by Dr Sam Egwu, who is the Senator representing Ebonyi North, had on Tuesday in Abuja held a press conference accusing Umahi of arming political thugs and cultists in the name of Ebube-Agu, the internal security outfit of the state, to attack perceived political opponents.
But reacting to the allegation, the APC in the state, in a press conference held in Abakaliki on Friday said the allegations were false challenging the PDP lawmakers to provide evidence to their allegations.
The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the state APC, Stanley Okoro-Emegha said, “We deny in its entirety the allegation that Governor Umahi distributed weapons to the Development Centre Coordinators and other agents of Ebonyi State government and the allegation that Chief Austin Umahi was addressing a group of people on how to use weapons against members of the opposition.
“We, therefore, call on them to provide the pictorial evidence of the said officers cocking the guns and the audio evidence of Austin Umahi’s discussion as alleged. Otherwise, they will be charged for perjury.”
However, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the state PDP, Mr Fred Udeogu, in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Friday, said Okoro-Emegha lacked the moral, social and political pedigree to talk about Egwu.
He said, “What is Okoro-Emegha’s pedigree? Where is he coming from? Where has he been before now? He was brought in by the governor, Umahi. He used to be Orji Kalu’s boy.
“He wasn’t here when we conducted the 2015 elections that brought Umahi to power in the first place. If he was here, he wouldn’t open his mouth to say anything against Sam Egwu. Sam Egwu was the mirror with which we conducted the election that brought Umahi to power.”
