Some people believed to be political thugs, on Tuesday, reportedly attacked Senate Minority Leader, Chief Enyinnaya Abaribe in Abia State.
It was gathered that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), governorship aspirant, in Abia State had gone on a consultation meeting with the party’s stakeholders at Okpuala Ngwa, headquarters of Isiala Ngwa North council area.
Sources from the area said hardly had the Senate Minority Leader had started addressing the stakeholders of the party, than a man later identified as the Deputy Chairman of the Council, Hon. Chuks Amaike attacked him, allegedly saying unprintable things about the Senator over his governorship ambition.
The sources added that the enraged Deputy Chairman was held by some stakeholders who pleaded with him to allow Abaribe conclude his speech, but the council official was adamant.
Following the confusion, thugs who were said to already been waiting in the wings, invaded the venue of the meeting and dispersed the people.
Attempts to confirm the incident from the Senate Minority leader were not successful, as his Media aide, Uchenna Awom, was yet to respond to a text message sent to his phone.
The incident has however been greeted with condemnation by various stakeholders of the PDP who called for tolerance and understanding among politicians and political parties in the state.
Chairman of Obingwa Council, Chief Michael Nwoke, described the attack on the senator as a display of rascality by the Deputy Chairman of Isiala Ngwa North council and his thugs and urged the security agencies in the state to urgently invite him to explain why he chose to disrupt Abaribe’s meeting and also unravel his sponsors.
In a trending statement, Nwoke said, “My attention has been drawn to the display of rascality by the people of Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area where the leader of the People’s Democratic Party in the National Assembly, and a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe was gruesomely attacked and insulted by some thugs and miscreants led by the Deputy Chairman of Isiala Ngwa North, Hon. Chuks Amaike, without recourse to his status, age and pedigree in the society, while on his consultation tour of LGAs for his governorship bid.
“As the home Chairman of the senator, I, Hon. Michael Ibe Nwoke will not stand and watch while our senator and leader is insulted in such manner with impunity”. The Council boss went further to demand, “That Obingwa, as a peace loving people call on security agencies in the state to, as a matter of urgency invite the Deputy Chairman of Isiala Ngwa North to explain why he has the temerity to disrupt Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe’s consultative meeting for his 2023 governorship aspirations, for which reasons he was at Isialangwa North.
“That the insult on Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, our leader, father and elder brother will not be treated with kids gloves and as such that Hon. Chuks Amaike is given on or within the next 24 hours to tender an reserved public apology to the senator or have the people of Obingwa to contend with”.
He called on the State Working Committee of PDP and elders of the land to wad into the matter and mete out appropriate actions against those involved.
Credit: Daily Sun