Mr Basil Ejidike, Anambra State Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), has criticised the low level of security in Anambra and promised to secure lives and property if APC candidate is elected governor.
He said this in Awka on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), adding that security is in its lowest ebb in Anambra.
The party chieftain also blamed the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), for insensitivity to the plight of the citizens.
According to him, the Anambra administration had left the bad situation to linger because it did not have the ability nor the will to tackle the challenge.
“Security should be a primary provision by a reasonable government to its citizenry, government now hunts down people who do not believe in its governance instead of providing security.
Ejidike alleged that political killings had resurfaced in Anambra and assured the public that APC, if elected, would deploy all its arsenal to stop insecurity in the state.
NAN reports that Ejidike was speaking on the heels of the recent killing of Alex Edozieuno, a former traditional ruler of Mkpunando in Aguleri, Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra and his driver, Chukwuemeka.
“Edozieuno recently joined APC and since then, as a trusted party member and grassroots person, had promised to deliver the party in his area,” he said.
The APC Chairman expressed diappointment that the late traditional leader was not allowed to rest since he was detroned by the Anambra goverment.
“The man was still serving the suspension order of the government and was replaced by another person, APGA knows his political worth and was afraid of his actions since he joined APC.
“Our people can talk and talk, do all sorts of things but as Igbo, we value the sanctity of life and regard human lives.
“We have never seen this type of killing in Anambra, that is why we raised alarm,” he said.
Ejidike said that APC would do everything to change the narrative of politics in Anambra electoral process and enthrone leadership that would bring security mechanism that would work in the state.
He also said that APC had no faction in the state although some members questioned the rules adopted to get its party flag bearer.
“But we have deployed our internal peaceful mechanism to reach out to all aggrieved members, so all would soon be sorted out.
Ejidike said that peace and unity of the Igbo would be the only tool to make anyone from the South East to easily achieve its 2023 ambition.
He said that APC should be in the state to assist the people to be in the Centre of leadership of the country, “from where we can gain grounds to achieve our goal of producing a president in 2023”.
In a swift reaction, the state ruling party through its Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr C.Don Adinuba described the allegations as `unfounded’.
Adinuba said that APC should not make politics of the the unfortunate situation that befall the state.
He said that Anambra was known as a state with the highest security network in the country and “cannot for anything debase its standard of security”.
The commissioner said that the late traditional ruler had no political relevance in the state and wondered why APC would associate APGA with killings and threats to lives.
“If they have their proof, they should go to the Police or DSS to lay their complaint with the proof,” he said.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra, ASP Tochukwu Ikenga, said that he was not aware of any threat to any politician or any politically motivated killings in the state.
“I do not have any information on threat to life of any politician.
“When Police receive threat complaints, they treats and investigates all complaints accordingly,” he said.