2027: Police react to Ebonyi governor, council chairman’s threats against opposition

The Nigeria Police Force has spoken on the threats issued against opposition politicians by Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State and the Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state, Paul Ituma.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Governor Nwifuru had, during the inauguration of the newly elected chairpersons of local government areas of the state on 1 September, threatened to remove the local officials if the APC loses the 2027 elections in their council areas.

“As a local government chairman, if you like, go and sleep so that another person will take over your house.

“You will not stop us (APC) from winning. But when we win, we will remove you,” the governor told the newly inaugurated chairpersons.

Apparently inspired by Governor Nwifuru’s controversial remarks, the newly sworn-in Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Paul Ituma, a few days later, warned opposition politicians to stay away from the council area ahead of the 2027 election or “submit” to his APC and the Ebonyi State governor.

“Except maybe based on what the governor has said, the opposition wants to submit to us so that we can embrace them. Anybody who is not thinking in that direction should not come around Ohaukwu Local Government because Ohaukwu is cordoned off, and anybody who dares to do that will be declared persona non grata,” the chairman had said.

Continuing, he said, “Anybody who wants to bring sand to put in my garri should not come to Ohaukwu. Anybody who is fighting the governor of Ebonyi State is my enemy from today and will be treated like an enemy.

“If you are not of APC’s stock, don’t come close to us. This is the time for politics. I don’t have a shop at the International Market or Okwo Ngbo Market; politics is my business.”

Police speak

Reacting to the governor’s remarks, the police spokesperson in Ebonyi State, Joshua Ukandu, told PREMIUM TIMES that during a press conference on 3 September, the Commissioner of Police in the state warned politicians that the command would not tolerate such threats against perceived opponents.

When initially contacted on 8 September, Mr Ukandu, a superintendent of police, told this newspaper that the police command was planning to summon a meeting of all stakeholders in Ohaukwu over the chairman’s threats.

On Wednesday, the police spokesperson confirmed to our reporter that the meeting was later held on 9 September at the state police headquarters in Abakaliki.

Mr Ukandu said the state Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations, Dennis Anyai, presided over the meeting.

The police spokesperson said the stakeholders agreed to “tone down” their rhetoric against the opposition.

“They all agreed because it was everybody from different political spectrums within that area,” he said.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the meeting was attended by representatives of all political parties in Ohaukwu, and a former governor of the state, Sam Egwu.

Others in attendance were the Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Mr Ituma, and the Deputy Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Chinedu Onah.

Stop the threats, PDP warned APC

In its reaction, the PDP in Ebonyi had cautioned the APC against threatening opposition parties in the state ahead of the 2027 elections. The party said the state did not belong to the APC, and urged residents to defend democratic pluralism. It said they should also defend their constitutional right to choose their political leaders in 2027.

“The Ebonyi State PDP will not fret, and we will not be intimidated into silence.

“We reaffirm our resolve to resist, through every lawful and constitutional avenue open to us, any further assault upon our members or structures,” Chukwuma Igwe, state chairman of the PDP, said in a statement issued in Abakaliki.

The PDP chairman described Governor Nwifuru’s remarks as a threat to democratic participation and political opposition in the state.

He called on democratic institutions, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to pay attention to the political situation in Ebonyi ahead of the general elections.

“Let it be known that Ebonyi State does not belong to one political party; its security architecture does not exist to serve one political entity; that principle is non-negotiable,” Mr Chukwuma said.