Peter Nweke, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Chairman in Ezza North local government area, is dead.
He died from injuries he sustained from attacks by hoodlums suspected to be political thugs on Saturday, March 18, 2023, during the Governorship and Assembly elections.
Onome Onovwakpoyeya, the spokesman of Police, confirmed the death of Nweke on Sunday, March 19, 2023.
She said Nweke was beaten up and rushed to the hospital unconscious where he was later pronounced death by a doctor.
Onome said the Police has launched an investigation into the death with a view to arresting and prosecuting anyone responsible.
Nweke’s younger brother, Samson Nweke also confirmed the death.
He had told The Nation on Saturday that his brother was beaten to coma by thugs.
He said the thugs wielding AK-47 riffles invaded his polling unit booth 10, Ogboji ward, Ezza North LGA Ebonyi State.
According to him, the thugs came in two Carter motorcycles and surrounded him, his brother, and others.
Samson Nweke, a Rights Activist, later confirmed in a statement that his brother, Peter is dead.
He revealed the late Peter Nweke had warned him to be careful as he had received intelligence that the two of them have been marked for elimination.
He said: “Two weeks ago, bro Peter came visiting me in Abakaliki. I wasn’t in the house but he met my wife. He told my wife to tell me that I should be very careful.
“He said that a certain political party had enlisted some persons from our community for elimination on or before the election date. He said he is number one on the list, I am number two, and three other persons”
“Today, it happened to us. While I luckily survived it, my brother could not. They killed him at my polling unit.
“I wish today never came. Oh! How I wish there was never a date called 18th March, 2023. Bro Peter wouldn’t have died. A young man so full of life and promise,” he lamented.
‘Electoral Corruption’: INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu Threatens To Sue PDP For Defamation
The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has threatened to sue the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for libel over their recent call for his resignation.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Onyekanmi, made the statement on Friday, March 10, 2023, on behalf of Professor Yakubu, who has come under intense scrutiny since the conclusion of the recent presidential and national assembly elections.
In response to the PDP’s call for his resignation, Professor Yakubu has maintained that the allegations against him are baseless and unfounded. He has also called on the PDP to present the evidence they claim to have in a court of law rather than subjecting the process to a media trial.
Mr. Onyekanmi, in a statement released on Friday, March 10, 2023, stated that the PDP failed to provide any convincing evidence to back up their claims that Professor Yakubu violated the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines, and engaged in criminal manipulation and alteration of election results.
He further stated that the commission does not rig elections and that the BVAS system has ensured the integrity of the electoral process by ensuring that only properly registered voters are allowed to vote on election day.
Mr. Onyekanmi also warned the PDP to desist from making libelous allegations against the INEC Chairman, as such actions are actionable in a court of law.
It is noteworthy that the PDP has rejected the outcome of the presidential election and has vowed to challenge it in court. Professor Yakubu has been at the center of controversy since the elections, with various political parties and stakeholders expressing divergent opinions about his conduct and the credibility of the electoral process.
As the dust settles on the recently concluded elections, it remains to be seen what actions the PDP will take in response to Professor Yakubu’s threat of legal action.
Source: The Nation
