Barely 48 hours to the rescheduled governorship election run-off in Abia State, residents of the state’s commercial hub, Aba on Thursday, April 23, 2015 woke up to find eerie coffins littering major streets of the town, warning residents to vote for a governor of Ngwa origin or risk death.
The PDP candidate, Okezie Ikpeazu is an Ngwa man.
Aba North and Aba South are part of areas election run-off will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2015.
The appearance of the coffins have sent chills down the spines of residents, as many people vowed not to come out to vote for fear of death.
Reacting to the development, the two main political parties in the election, the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) condemned the act, trading blames as to who was responsible for the sinister tactic.
APGA candidate, Alex Otti, described the act as “despicable, shameful and barbaric act by desperate and frustrated politicians.”
On his part, Ikpeazu enthused thus: “The attention of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate for Abia State has been drawn to the ugly incident witnessed in Aba this morning, where caskets are being dropped at various places in Aba, with a threat that those who will not vote for Dr.. Ikpeazu and the PDP in the Saturday’s supplementary election will die.
“Dr. Okezie is by this means dissociating himself from such dastardly act, and also inform Abians and the general public that such is the handiwork of the opposition who have shown their desperations in various ways since the beginning of the governorship contest.”
