A former governor of Imo state, Ikedi Ohakim has said that he was coasting home to victory during the botched All Progressives Grand Alliance governorship primary when thugs were detailed to disrupt the “peaceful” exercise.
Ohakim who ruled the state between 2007 and 2011 claimed that the thugs were brought by his opponents who joined APGA from the ruling All Progressives Congress.
While calling his supporters and the party’s delegates to come out en mass on Saturday to complete the process of electing the governorship candidate of the party, Ohakim maintained that those who do not wish the party well will not have their way
Below is the ex governor’s speech on the truncated primary…….
The level of thuggery and brigandage unleashed against the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) today, Friday October 5, 2018, by those who are sworn enemies of the Imo people had never occurred in the party.
APGA is the identity of the Igbo man and thuggery, brigandage are alien to the party and also negates the culture of respect, peace, hard work, love, live and let live which the Igbo people are known for. Importing thuggery and brigandage from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in order to intimidate or cow the people is a futile venture, because the Igbo man is known for his courage and protects his identity more than anything else.
One therefore wonders why the party known for its peaceful conduct suddenly witnessed unprecedented brigandage and thuggery in its governorship primary election, but the answer is that those who erroneously think that the Igbo people are for sale think that resorting to such unlawful acts is the only way they could stop Ikedi Ohakim who was winning the APGA guber ticket.
We condemn in strongest terms the resort to thuggery and brigandage and the unnecessary teargassing of the people who had conducted themselves peacefully. The delegates to the governorship primary election have sworn that they would lay down their life to ensure that no one thwarts their mandate and advised who resorted to importing thugs that such acts cannot work.
We thank the dogged supporters of Ikedi Ohakim and members of the party, particularly the delegates for resisting those who wanted to bend their knees and for standing for justice, equity and fairness.
We urge you all to come out in large numbers also on Saturday, October 6, 2018 and vote your man, Ikedi Ohakim for just one term of four years. We must retrieve our state from marauders and cannot therefore sell dog and buy monkey. APGA is our party and we cannot surrender or sell it to anyone no matter whom he thinks he is.
