Today’s General Elections: PDP Faults Gov. Umahi’s Baptized Ebubeagu Militia Outfits 

FROM OUR SECURITY MONITORING DESK, (ABAKALIKI)

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ebonyi State chapter has faulted the alleged flagrant constitutional violations being carried out by Governor David Umahi for baptizing the Court disbanded Ebubeagu militia with new names.

Recall that a Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki had on Tuesday (February 14, 2023) passed a judgment that proscribed the Ebubeagu militia earlier created by Governor David Umahi in Ebonyi State.

But showcasing that he has no regard to the law, Governor Dave Umahi after initial grandstanding in a live broadcast however, announced the disbandment of the outlawed Ebubeagu militia and in the same breath, announced that he had formed two new security outfits, namely Ebonyi State Neighbourhood Watch and Ebonyi State Vigilante Corps.

Governor in furtherance of the illegalities currently being allegedly committed by Governor Umahi, on February 22, 2023, through his Special Assistant on Media, Comrade Chooks Oko announced inter alia: that “His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, Engineer David Nweze Umahi, FNSE FNATE, GGCEHF, GSSRS, CON has directed the immediate resumption of activities of the new Security Outfits recently created by the Law of the State House of Assembly, namely EBONYI NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH fashioned after the Neighborhood Watch in Anambra State and EBONYI VIGILANTE CORPS fashioned after the Amotekun in South West Nigeria.”

PDP’s Deputy Director, Media and Publicity, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council Ebonyi State, Comrade Moses Idika through press statement duly signed and made available to this Platform accused Governor Umahi if having unleashed his new militia who are definitely the over 4,000 Ebubeagu militia operatives that the court has proscribed and disbanded for being unlawful.

“Little wonder Oshiri (Onicha LGA) and Okpuitumo (Ikwo LGA) were swooped on by gunmen numbering over 100 on Thursday February 23, 2023.

“We therefore, would want to directly inform the general public and especially the Security Chiefs, including the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Director General of the Department of State Security Service (DSS), the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to note that the new security outfits announced by Governor Umahi are one and the same Ebubeagu militia.

“Also, it is pertinent to note that the establishment of the said new security outfits by Governor Umahi remains opaque as the law establishing the said security outfits are unknown to Ebonyi public; the modus operandi also is unknown just like the mode or when the operatives of the two security outfits were recruited remains a mystery.

“In the interest of public peace and smooth electioneering processes in Ebonyi State, Security Chiefs are encouraged to be vigilant having in mind that the desperation of Governor David Umahi seem to have taken up his senses of decency and he will stop at nothing to engender violence to justify his penchant for terrorizing dissenting voices.

“We understand that the collapsing fortunes of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in a Ebonyi is a source of worry to Umahi and his co-travelers, but the beauty of democracy is the fact that the people are free to chose their leaders and not even Governor Umahi can stop the progress of Ebonyi people”. PDP stated.