Abia APC local government election candidate sends SOS to IGP

By Ijendu Iheaka

January 11, 2017

 Dr Christian Okoli, the All Progressives Congress Local government Chairmanship candidate for Aba South, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police to save his life from threats from PDP members in Abia state.

The call was contained in letter dated 11 January, 2017 and signed on behalf of Okoli by his lawyer, Mr Chinedu Okechukwu of Amity Chambers, Owerri, Imo State.

In the petition, Okoli said his life had come under threats by some PDP members in Aba South.

He said that since they learnt he was preparing to challenge the outcome of the local government election of December 21, 2016 at the Local Government Election Tribunal, he had been getting death threats.

Okoli, who also spoke to newsmen from a hideout, handed copies of the petition to the media on Wednesday in Aba.

“My life as APC member in Aba South is in danger, we are calling on Mr President and the Inspector-General of Police and the National Chairman of APC to come and save us.

“Our lives are under serious threat. We are no longer sleeping in our houses. My crime is that I left PDP and joined APC and contested the election under APC and I won the election.

“But my opponent, Emmanuel Emeruwa was declared winner but the Chairman of Abia State Electoral Commission(ABSIEC) publicly announced that he will give all parties a level playing ground

“The chairman further said that after the election whosoever is not happy should go and ventilate his grievances at the election tribunal. As a law-abiding citizen, I started compiling my petition to file at the Local Government Elections Tribunal.

“Before I know it, I started having threats from here and there. One man who calls himself major from Nnetu called me and said if I go to court, they will kill me”, he narrated.

According to Okoli, some other persons who called themselves Bullet and members of the Vanguard for an Aba South PDP chieftain also called to tell him they would kill him if he went to Tribunal.

He said he had done business in Aba for over 40 years with no record of crime adding that it is worrisome for him to receive such threats of death for believing in the rule of law.

Okoli, therefore called on the Police, the security agencies, and the APC National Chairman to help save his life and those of his followers in Aba before it becomes too late.