Victor Ezeja
Chieftain of the Labour Party, Kenneth Okonkwo has called on security agencies to launch investigations and fish out the culprits behind the killing of Oyibo Chukwu, the party’s candidate for Enugu East Senatorial District in the Saturday election.
Oyibo Chukwu, who is a lawyer was said to have been attacked by unknown gunmen while returning from a campaign trip in Agbani, Enugu State on Wednesday night.
The gunmen according to reports shot and killed him inside his branded Sienna car used for campaigns along Amechi road in Enugu South Local Government Area of the state.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelReacting to the incident, Okonkwo, who is a spokesperson for Labour Party Campaign Council in Enugu State, the security agencies must act fast to fish out the killers.
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In a series of tweets on Thursday morning, Okonkwo alleged that some politicians in the state who feel defeated are resorting to using intimidation to subvert the will of the people on election day, and urged opposition candidates and their followers in the state to unite against the perceived violence to thwart their mandate.
“The killing of Labour Party (LP) candidate for Enugu East Senatorial district, Oyibo Chukwu, has shown the preparedness of defeated politicians in Enugu State to use intimidation to subvert the will of the people. May God rain His destruction on the perpetrators of this heinous crime.
“The security agencies must fish out the culprits immediately before this unpardonable aggression leads to the breakdown of law and order. I am holding the Enugu State Governor responsible for this heinous crime being the Chief Security Officer in Enugu State,” Okonkwo tweeted.
The veteran Nollywood actor and lawyer further called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the Senatorial election in Enugu East Senatorial District until the Labour Party fields a replacement.
“We cannot surrender our country to these thugs and murderers for the next four years,” Okonkwo added, referring to the hoodlums.
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He urged citizens of the state to vote out bad leaders in the state.
“The opposition candidates and their followers in Enugu State must unite now and stand against this obvious manipulation and violence which the old order of politics is known for in Enugu State. Let us use this opportunity to vote out the murderous regime in Enugu State for a new Nigeria. Oyibo Ojukwu must not die in vain.
“Meanwhile, INEC must postpone the Senatorial election in Enugu East Senatorial District until the Labour Party fields a replacement. We cannot surrender our country to these thugs and murderers for the next four years,” the LP chieftain stated.
Meanwhile, lawyers and Judges in the five branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Enugu State on Thursday boycotted court sittings in protest of the gruesome killing of Oyibo Chukwu, who is a former chairman of the association.
Oyibo was chairman of the Oji River Branch of NBA between 2017 and 2019.
The action of the lawyers affected court sitting in the state High Court Complex and others across the state on Thursday. Judges, who were unaware of the boycott decision, reportedly rose immediately after they received the information.
The lawyers gave security agencies in the State 48 hours to fish out those behind the killing or await their actions.
They claimed that the killing of the LP senatorial candidate was politically motivated, lamenting that the state was gradually being dragged back to dark days of political killings.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
