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By Madu Obi
The chairman of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, in Nanka Ward 1 in Orumba North local government area of Anambra State, Nze Joe Muoghali, was on Saturday night murdered by masked men few hours after holding a meeting of YPP stakeholders in the area ahead of a rerun election for the Orumba North and South federal constituency.
The Court of Appeal had ordered that a rerun election should be conducted in 13 polling units in Nanka Ward 1 between Hon Princess Chinwe Nnabuife of YPP, who was declared winner of the February 25 national assembly election, and her opponent, Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo, who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Hon Nnabuife, who was devastated by the murder, said that following the ruling of the Court of Appeal for the rerun, she came down and told the late Muoghali to organize a meeting of stakeholders and supporters in the Ward as part of preparation for the election.
Hon Nnabuife said: " We held the meeting on Saturday, after which we attended the wedding of an executive member of YPP in the same Nanka Ward 1. After that, I left."
"Barely one hour after I got home, I received a distress call that the party chairman was shot by some men wearing mask. I was told that before they fired at him, the assailants called him saboteur three times."
" He was immediately rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately, he couldn't make it. So, my question is, what is the fate of the people of Nanka Ward 1 as we prepare for the court ordered rerun election."
" Now that they have killed my party chairman, who knows their next target. With this scenario, how safe am I to go for the rerun in Nanka? And how safe are my party members and supporters in the area?"
"I urge security operatives to wade into this matter immediately to unravel the circumstances surrounding the murder and those behind this heinous killing of YPP chairman in Nanka."
The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga said he was not aware of the incident.
According to Hon Nnabuife, Nze Joe Muoghali was a wonderful man and pleaded that those behind the barbaric murder should be made to face the full weight of the law.
"While I want the rerun to be held as planned, I also want security operatives and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to know what I am up against ahead of the rerun."
"As it stands, I can't even go to Nanka to campaign if I do not have soldiers and men of the DSS around me. But the question is, why are they afraid of me even in their village?"
"I am the first woman in Orumba to win House of Representatives election from an unknown political party and the voters came out in large numbers to vote for me to represent them because they know that I can attract true dividends of democracy to our area," she said.
Nnabuife recalled that she faced the same type of thuggery in 2019 when the same Ezenwankwo contested on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, against her, adding that 20 buses filled with thugs were unleashed on her then at the INEC office.
Na wa ooo