Again, agents of Abia Govt, PDP thugs attack Labour Party members

Agents of Abia State Government and some people described as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) thugs on Monday attacked members of the Labour Party (LP), who were holding a meeting at Uwahia Village in Obingwa Local Government Area.

Obingwa is the local government of the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, who is serving out his second term and hoping to go to the senate in 2023, as the PDP’s candidate for Abia South senatorial zone.

RELIABLESOURCENG.COM learnt that the attackers, no fewer than seven in number, led by one Chukwudi Sunday, a known PDP thug in the area, had laid ambush for the LP members around the venue of their meeting, scheduled for 11.00a.m.

Allegedly armed with dangerous weapons such as cutlasses and sticks, the invading gang waited for the LP members to convene the meeting before pouncing on them, destroying tables, chairs, party banners and overturning consumables already set for entertainment.

A source among the LP members said the attackers claimed that they had the backing as well as acting on the instruction of the Abia State Commissioner for Homeland security, Mr. Sopuruchi Nwabeke and Hanson Amaechi (Abacha), a former chairman of Obingwa Local Government Area, to disrupt the meeting.

READ: Stop your violence, intimidation against our members in Abia – Labour Party warns PDP

According to the source, the Labour Party members had convened the meeting to harmonise all the party’s pro groups in Obingwa.

The members, we learnt, were being addressed by the Coordinator for Alex Otti Campaign in Obingwa West, whose name was given as Mr. Maxwell Nwadike, when they were visited with violence by the thugs.

“Several chairs and Labour Party banners were destroyed. It took the courage of some Obingwa youths who stood up to the thugs before they could beat a retreat.

“They later regrouped and invaded the hall again in larger number, destroying chairs and chasing people away.

“It was at this point that some military men, who had been alerted, came to the rescue of the Labour Party members. The presence of the military forced the attackers to take to their heels, only to regroup once again after the military men had left,” the source recounted.

There was no immediate report of injuries on the part of the LP members.

Meanwhile, the party has vowed to petition the Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Janet Agbede, over the incident.