The Destiny 2023 Campaign Council, said it has uncovered alleged plots to scuttle the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorhip primary election scheduled to hold May 26.
The council, a campaign organisation of Chief Elias Mbam, a governorship aspirant on the platform of APC made the claim in a statement it released on Wednesday in Abakaliki signed by Dr Paul Okorie.
The council alleged that top officials of the APC led government and party officials had approached the Federal High Court in Abakaliki to obtain a restraining order to stop the primary election from holding.
The council further alleged that people suspected to be working for the actualisation of the candidature of a government preferred aspirant had imported armed thugs into the state ahead of tomorrow’s exercise.The council said: “It has come to our knowledge of plans to scuttle the gubernatorial primary election in Ebonyi scheduled to hold Thursday, May 26 by agents of State Government.
“Recall that Gov. Dave Umahi endorsed Mr Francis Nwifuru, Speaker of the Ebonyi House of Assembly as his preferred gubernatorial aspirant against the wishes of the generality of Ebonyi people and the party.
“This failed attempt to foist his preferred aspirant on the Ebonyi people and APC has made the governor to adopt other sinister strategies to scuttle the scheduled primary.”Credible intelligence available to us alleges that agents of state government and those working for the speaker has procured armed thugs from neighbouring states who are already in the state.
“The armed thugs will work in liaison with Ebubeagu Eastern Security Network with the plan to attack and cause mayhem at the venue of the gubernatorial primary and prevent perceived opponents from attending.
“The council also said that it was in receipt of information that Ebonyi Government through her lawyer has approached the Federal High Court, Abakaliki to stop the exercise from holding as scheduled. “Today, Wednesday, May 25, we received information that state government has dragged the APC to court with a view to restraining the party from going ahead with the conduct of the governorhip primary election.
“This action clearly negates the provisions of our party constitution that allows all aggrieved members to first explore and exhaust all the internal conflict resolution mechanisms to address any such grievances. “We therefore call on the national leadership of our great party and our chairman, Mallam Abdullahi Adamu to wade in and stop the desperation and antics of the Ebonyi government.
“We risk losing the 2023 elections to the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) if urgent action is not taken to stop the desperation,” the council said.The council further appealed to security agencies especially the police, Department of State Security, the military and other security agencies to ensure adequate security arrangements at the venue of the election.”We therefore plead with the security agencies to take notice and ensure that the life and safety of Chief Elias Mbam, other aspirants, their supporters, party faithful and delegates are guaranteed and protected.
“Meanwhile, Chief Stanley Emegha, APC state chairman in a reaction described the allegation of a plot to scuttle the election as laughable insisting that the guber primary would go on as planned.”The allegation is not only funny but also laughably, baseless and should be discountenanced as the election must go as planned,” he said.
