Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA governorship candidate in Imo State, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho, escaped being lynched yesterday when supporters of All Progressives Congress, APC, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and APGA clashed, yesterday.
The incident, which lasted for 40 minutes, disrupted the debate organised for governorship candidates in the state by the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri.
The church, through its Justice, Development and Peace Commission, JDPC in conjunction with the Archdiocese, had planned the event for the Odenigbo Pavilion (Obiri Odenigbo) of Maria Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri.
Ihedioha, who is the PDP governorship candidate and Capt Iheanacho had turned up early for the debate and narrowly escaped being lynched in the violence that ensued.
Nigerian Pilot learnt that the duo scampered for safety when the fracas broke out and were shielded and hauled into their waiting vehicles by security operatives attached to them.
Following the crisis, the political debate was disrupted as the rampaging supporters of the three parties destroyed everything on sight.
They allegedly assaulted the Priest, Rev. Fr. Casmir Nze, scheduled to moderate the debate. He had flown into the state from Abuja.
Both Priest and others who came to witness the event ran for safety while the chief host, Most Rev. Anthony AJ.V. Obinna, Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province who had not arrived for the debate stayed away from the scene.
Along the busy Assumpta Avenue, Port Harcourt and Onitsha Roads, supporters of the warring parties exchanged punches and smashed cars bearing their party’s insignia.
Trouble started when both APC and PDP supporters who were chanting provocative slogans disagreed on the sitting position for PDP women clad in black attire suspected to be widows.
Although no life was lost, the Archdiocese is counting its losses as its property, including seats, electronics, canopies and other items were destroyed.
Director of Communications in the Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. George Nwachukwu, condemned the disruptions of the debate, saying the church meant well in organising it and wondered why anybody would disrupt it.
He noted that unidentified political thugs swarmed the place and disrupted the event before its commencement and described the development as a grave insult to the Archbishop and the Catholic Church.
According to him, the church has called off the event indefinitely following the fracas and advised politicians to shun violence during the forthcoming elections in the country.
Ihedioha, who spoke to newsmen after calm was restored to the venue accused the APC and Governor Rochas Okorocha of hiring the thugs that attacked the organisers of the debate.
He alleged that the action of the APC thugs was a clear indication that Governor Okorocha was not willing to allow free and peaceful elections in the state and urged the people to vote out the governor before he destroys the state.
Director-General of Rochas Campaign Organisation, Chief Iheukwumere Alaribe, accused the PDP of using its thugs to cause confusion at the venue.
Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Andrew Enwerem, said the incident was not reported to the command.
Meanwhile, armed policemen and soldiers have taken over strategic junctions in Owerri, the state capital to avert further breakdown of law and order in the state.

No respect for sacred things anymore because of politics. No wahala, what happened to Hophini and Phinehas is about to happen in this country to some hollow headed youths soon.

nortcentrallord:
No respect for sacred things anymore because of politics. No wahala, what happened to Hophini and Phinehas is about to happen in this country to some hollow headed youths soon.

handwork of pdp

Politicians! Destroying even sacred places since time immemorial! Just can't wait for this election to be over, the tension is just too high in some places

securi:
Politicians! Destroying even sacred places since time immemorial! Just can't wait for this election to be over, the tension is just too high in some places

By 7am, reports indicated that FUTO students were being conveyed to the venue of the debate in buses by a PDP stalwart with links to FUTO of recent past.

By 8am, APGA and PDP loyalists clashed in a supremacy battle. The battle led to a minor blood bathe on both sides.

At about 10am, the organizers announced the cancellation of the debate owing to the violence from PDP and APGA THUGS with Capt. Iheanacho moving around the venue with about 20 party loyalists seeking for notice.

Shortly after the announcement, Mr Emeka Ihedioha arrived with dangerously looking men with hands in their pockets obviously hiding weapons and looking defeated, hungry and angry.

Gov. Rochas Okorocha who was on his way to the debate was consequently informed of the fiasco and was no where near the venue but as he rode past the International Convention Centre, supporters and Ndi Imo "forced" him on a road show around the city as a mark of support and solidarity. An indication of their support for APC and rejection of the violence prone opposition parties.

Imo is indeed better.

To God be the glory.

londongal02:
By 7am, reports indicated that FUTO students were being conveyed to the venue of the debate in buses by a PDP stalwart with links to FUTO of recent past.

By 8am, APGA and PDP loyalists clashed in a supremacy battle. The battle led to a minor blood bathe on both sides.

At about 10am, the organizers announced the cancellation of the debate owing to the violence from PDP and APGA THUGS with Capt. Iheanacho moving around the venue with about 20 party loyalists seeking for notice.

Shortly after the announcement, Mr Emeka Ihedioha arrived with dangerously looking men with hands in their pockets obviously hiding weapons and looking defeated, hungry and angry.

Gov. Rochas Okorocha who was on his way to the debate was consequently informed of the fiasco and was no where near the venue but as he rode past the International Convention Centre, supporters and Ndi Imo "forced" him on a road show around the city as a mark of support and solidarity. An indication of their support for APC and rejection of the violence prone opposition parties.

Imo is indeed better.

To God be the glory.

thank you for telling us what actually happened.

No vacancy for Ihedioha and Iheanacho in Douglas House.

The supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Imo State on Tuesday allegedly disrupted the governorship debate organized by the Justice and Development Peace Committee (JDPC) of the Owerri Catholic Archdiocese. Trouble was said to have started when a group of APC youths descended heavily on some women who were wearing black clothes suspected to be widows and started assaulting them. Another group of youths suspected to be PDP members was said to have confronted the APC youths with red Cards which angered them to flay up. The APC youths were allegedly brandishing axes, cutlass and short guns at the venue of the programme. The governorship candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, PDP Flag bearer, chief Emeka Ihedioha and Accord Party counterpart, Mr. Ken Ojiri have already taken their seats before the fracas erupted. Daily Times gathered that APC chieftains including the State Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Development, Mr. Uche Nwosu, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Jude Ejiogu, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chief Chidi Ibeh allegedly led the APC supporters to the Maria Assumpta Cathedral venue of the debate and dished out the necessary directives. While the moderator of the programme who flew in from Abuja was reading out the code of conduct for the debate, the member representing Ideato South in the State House of Assembly, the country home of the governor, Mr. Ikechukwu Amuka was said to have gone to the podium and snatched the eye glasses of the moderator and destroyed it as well as destroying the entire podium. Briefing the newsmen the chairman of the JDPC, Rev. Father Casmir Nze alleged that some priests were assaulted including the Cathedral Administrator Rev. Fr. Alphonosus Oha, stressing that the teeming population over powered the security agencies. “The JDPC has been organizing the governorship debates since 1999 to enable the candidates to sale their programmes to the public and we don’t know why this year’s debate is now a different one”. The Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Most Rev. Anthony Obinna who later came to inspect the level of destruction prayed for peaceful elections and expressed happiness that no life was lost during the fracas. Daily Times reports that the State Government directed all public secondary schools in Owerri, the state capital to be closed and students to proceed to the venue of the debate. The students were armed with brooms chanting songs Rochas we know, Rochas we know”. After the fracas, the APC supporter went to the streets of Owerri tearing all available posters of their perceived opposition. Reacting at a press Campaign organization Director-general Rochas Campaign Organization Chief Iheukwumere Alaribe blamed the disruption on the supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alleging that the PDP governorship candidate came to the venue with over 500 thugs. He distanced APC supporters of any action that disrupted the governorship debate organized by the church. Meanwhile, the PDP Governorship candidate Chief Ihedioha has denied that his party was involved in any act of indiscipline saying that Gov. Okorocha and his APC Supporters have been fermenting trouble in the state.

Read more at: http://dailytimes.com.ng/apc-supporters-disrupt-imo-governorship-debate/

the number six man in Nigeria and our next governor come may 29.
the people are solidly behind you.
you can never be intimidated by Rochas and his thugs.
God is your strength

Rochas and his commoners led by the commissioner of information chidi ibe and commissioner for health taking over the pulpit after beating up and chasing away the catholic reverend fathers.

Rochas and his commissioners led by the commissioner of information chidi ibe and commissioner for health taking over the pulpit after beating up and chasing away the catholic reverend fathers.

pistol:
the number six man in Nigeria and our next governor come may 29.
the people are solidly behind you.
you can never be intimidated by Rochas and his thugs.
God is your strength

IF VOTING FOR ROCHAS OKOROCHA IN 2011
WAS A MAKE, THAT IS IF INDEED IT WAS A
MISTAKE, MAY WE MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE
AGAIN COME 2015.