Ebonyi: PDP Chieftains Cry Out, Allege gunpoint Coercion to Join APC

By Uchenna Okeh, Abakaliki

Two chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, Mr. Jimoh Abu and Anthony Awaza, have denied reports of their defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that they remain committed to the opposition party.

The duo made the declaration at a press conference in Abakaliki on Thursday, where they alleged that they were forced under duress to announce their defection to the APC.

Abu and Awaza accused officials of the Ebonyi State Government of leading operatives of the state vigilante group to Jimoh Guest House in the Hausa Quarters area of Abakaliki, where they allegedly abducted lodgers, staff members and other customers.

According to them, the incident was intended to compel Abu to publicly declare his departure from the PDP for the APC.

Abu maintained that despite the alleged threats and pressure, he had not defected from the PDP and remained a supporter of the party’s governorship candidate, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii.

“Despite the threats from the government, I remain a member of the PDP and a supporter of Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii because we believe he is prepared and ready to give Ebonyi State a facelift in terms of development,” he said.

He insisted that his political allegiance remained with the PDP, dismissing any suggestion that he had voluntarily joined the ruling party.

Similarly, Awaza said he had no reason to abandon the PDP or withdraw his support for Odii, whom he credited with providing financial assistance during a period of serious health challenges.

“I don’t even have a reason not to support Anyichuks, a man who cared for me when no one else did. When I had health challenges, it was Anyichuks who sent me N3 million to pay my medical bills at Niger Foundation Hospital, Enugu,” he said.

Awaza further alleged that he was forced at gunpoint to declare his defection to the APC, insisting that the announcement did not reflect his personal decision or political affiliation.

“What happened was that I was forced at gunpoint to say that I had joined the APC, but everyone knows that I cannot leave the PDP because even the house I live in now was built by Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii,” he added.

The two PDP members maintained that their continued support for Odii was based on their personal experiences and confidence in his capacity to contribute to the development of the state.

They called attention to what they described as undue pressure on opposition members, insisting that political affiliation should be a matter of personal choice rather than a decision imposed through threats or intimidation.

However, the allegations against the state government and the vigilante operatives could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report. The government had not responded to the allegations at the time of filing.