David Umahi, the governor of Ebonyi State, has banned street campaigns by political parties a few months before the 2023 general election.
He also threatened to seal off party secretaries and offices of defaulters.
Umahi also banned pasting of posters on critical infrastructure, including electric poles, concrete medians, roads, flyover bridges, and other critical infrastructure of the state by all the political parties.
The governor, who made this known in a statement signed and issued to journalists in Abakaliki by the Commissioner of Information and State Orientation, Mr Uchenna Orji, threatened to clampdown on political parties, including his All Progressives Congress, APC, that littered the infrastructure with posters.
“The Governor has banned all street campaigns and directed all Local Government Area Chairmen to process all the applications of any Political Party including APC that wants to use the public facilities for their campaigns,” he stated.
Umahi, however, gave a marching order to all political parties including APC to remove with immediate effect, all the posters that already littered on the critical infrastructures in the state.
According to him: “The Governor has decided to forgive all other political parties and appeal to them to remove all their posters on all the critical infrastructure before 31st December, 2022 and desist forthwith from defacing the state facilities or face similar penalty like APC, Ebonyi State chapter.
Dictactor: Governor Umahi Bans Use Of Schools, Market Places For Political Rallies
David Umahi, the governor of Ebonyi State, on Monday, October 31, 2022, banned the use of school premises, market places in the 13 local government areas of the state for political rallies.
He said schools and markets were used for heavy open defecation during rallies by politicians, hence the ban.
Umahi also banned the use of motorcycles in all parts of the state between 7:00pm and 6:00am and blamed the serial killings of residents by unknown gunmen using motorbikes.
The governor disclosed his decision while addressing stakeholders and non-governmental organizations during the 2023 budget estimate and citizen’s inputs that took place at the ecumenical centre, Abakaliki capital of Ebonyi State.
The governor directed that all political parties must write an application to the commissioner of education, applying to be allowed to use school premises and marketplaces for campaigns.
He said that the ban on the use of motorcycles in the 13 LGAs, was because it is being used by unknown gunmen to kill innocent citizens, especially as the 2023 general election approaches.
The governor, however, insisted that the Ebubeagu security operatives will not be scraped as was alleged by opposition parties, stressing that the operatives have come to stay.
He said, “we ban the use of motorcycles in any part of the state from 7:00pm to 6:00am. It is for the betterment of your lives. All the unknown gunmen are using motorcycles.
“We have to do everything possible to secure your lives. My good friend was killed yesterday night by unknown gunmen who used motorcycles and spread bullets on him. Many people have lost their lives in this process. We need to sacrifices” he stated.
Source: Daily Post
