- * Says US-based Poll Agency Predicts Victory For APC
- 'I Didn't Hire Anyone To Kill, Cause Mayhem In Anambra'.....Andy Uba
By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief)
The Senator Andy Uba Governorship Campaign Organisation (SAUGCO) has deplored what it described as a last-ditch attempt by the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) government in Anambra state to affront the claimed victory march of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in this week's Saturday, November 6 gubernatorial election in the state.
The Uba's Campaign organization in a statement on Sunday afternoon, October 31, 2021, by the Director, Media, and Publicity Division of the group, Hon. Victor Afam Ogene described as "shame" what it viewed as the "latest smear campaign" in which a certain Elijah Okoh who claims to be an indigene of Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital but resides in Okpoko, Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, was allegedly hired by Senator Andy Uba for initial contract payment of five million nairas to engage in killing operations in parts of the state in the guise of "unknown gunmen", in other to cause public disorder and panic so that the election will not hold next Saturday.
According to the said 48-year-old confessioner, the purpose of the alleged contract killings was to generate sufficient fears in the minds of the Anambra electorates so that they would stay away from the polling units across the state in other to pave way for the APC candidate (Senator Andy Uba) to allegedly rig the governorship election on Saturday.
But the APC Campaign organization swiftly dismissed the trending allegation by the said Elijah Okoh as a ruse, an alleged subterfuge claimed to have been orchestrated by the ruling APGA in the state to defame Andy Uba and ultimately ruin his electoral chances before the Anambra State electorates.
Uba's Campaign Spokesman, Hon. Victor Afam Ogene contends that the allegations against Andy Uba were propelled by the projection by a US-based leading independent research and political risk consultancy firm, Hallmark International Consulting Company (HICC) which disclosed that Senator Uba is tipped to win the November 6, 2021 election".
According to Hon. Ogene, a foremost Journalist and also a former House of Representatives lawmaker for Ogbaru Federal Constituency in Anambra state, the HICC had said that "Senator Andy Uba, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC) may win in a hotly contested election with a margin of error of between 3-4 percent probability ratings in Anambra State governorship election".
Ogene said a statement issued on Saturday, October 30, 2021, in Abuja by the Foundation's Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Hayes Rodney, said the interest of the Foundation in the Anambra State governorship election is purely non-partisan.
According to HICC, Ogene further stated, the research and opinion poll was commissioned by a US-based 'Power to the People Foundation' - an NGO with an interest in the sustainability of democracy in Africa and around the world.
He said although HICC revealed that it only polled six major candidates - Dr. Godwin Maduka of Accord Party, Prof. Charles Soludo of APGA, Valentine Ozigbo of PDP, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo of Zenith Labour Party, and Senator Andy Uba of APC - the poll, it said, "further narrowed the governorship race to a contest between Professor Soludo of APGA and Senator Andy Uba of APC."
Uba's Campaign Media Director, Ogene, however, argues that on the heels of this development, the APGA government in Anambra state "appears to have taken a recourse to whip up sentiments against Senator Uba. This time, using poorly scripted propaganda material, they claimed that a certain nondescript character, allegedly, 'confessed' that Distinguished Senator Andy Uba contracted him to cause mayhem in the state.
"The General Public is advised to ignore this concocted tale which could only have emanated from the jaundiced imagination of crude propagandists.
"Senator Uba, despite having devoted the greater part of his adult life to the service of Ndi Anambra and Nigeria, is a widely acclaimed perfect gentleman who not only detests violence but has also never been associated with anything of the sort.
"If the said Elijah Okoh, said to be a revenue agent, is not a fictitious character created solely for the aim of reputational damage, then he must be an acolyte of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and its leader, Governor Willie Obiano, who employs all revenue agents in Anambra state. The said Elijah Okoh is a revenue agent according to the imaginative tale, which puts him directly under the watch of Willie Obiano who supervises Revenue Agents in Anambra state.
"In fact, we challenge Governor Obiano and the many propagandists in his employ, to produce the said Elijah Okoh, or forever quit playing silly games and face up to the elections holding in a few days time.
"For anyone living in Anambra state, it is quite easy linking the amateurish authors of the ignoble script to Willie Obiano and the APGA candidate, Professor Charles Soludo to this perfidy, having borrowed their fictional character from the notorious Ikanda, a murderer who worked as a revenue agent in Onitsha and was used by APGA and Obiano to wreak havoc in Onitsha during the 2013 elections. He was later arrested by security operatives for other crimes, but as the 2017 election approached, an entrenched Governor Obiano facilitated his release and deployment to election duties.
"What is more! A cursory look at the concocted tale shows that the story has no source and can't be referenced to anyone. The Parrot News attached at the end of the said article does not also exist, either in print or on the internet.
"For the avoidance of doubt, Senator Uba and his All Progressives Congress (APC) have been insistent on having the Anambra governorship election held this Saturday, November 6, 2021. On the contrary, however, Governor Obiano and APGA have been busy using all kinds of excuses and shenanigans to force a shift.
"Indeed, Ndi Anambra and Nigerians at large are aware of those who appear not to be ready for the gubernatorial duel and are therefore conjuring all manner of excuses, including playing games with security issues, so as to force a stalemate.
"With the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, other political parties, including the APC and security agencies ready for the polls, we advise Governor Obiano, Professor Soludo, and APGA to get up and get ready for November 6, 2021 - and quit playing silly games", Uba's Campaign Media Director said in the statement.
Meanwhile, the said Elijah Okoh allegedly contracted by Senator Andy Uba to unleash a spate of killings and violence on his behalf within the Anambra town areas of Ekwusigo, Ihiala, Nnewi North, and South, had allegedly confessed on a trending story on the internet media.
Okoh who, according to the story, allegedly claimed he had "worked" for Senator Andy Uba since 1999, made very chilling confessions, alleging that the APC governorship candidate still has another alleged killer "job men" at large who are still working for him. The said Elijah was allegedly arrested by an operational team of gallant men of the yet unnamed Nigerian Security forces at Nnewi, a major industrial and commercial town in Anambra state.
The confessioner (Elijah Okoh) allegedly squealed thus: "My name is Elijah Okoh I am from Abakiliki in Ebonyi State. I live in Okpoko in Ogbaru local government. I am forty-eight years old. I camouflage and work as a revenue agent at Ogbaru but main and kill as a professional when contracted. I am sorry for the pain and sorrow I have caused the Anambra people. I have wounded, maimed, and killed many in the State for Andy Uba.
"I have worked for him for many years. I was trained by Anagbaso and was among the gang that terrorized Anambra State when Ngige (Dr. Chris) was Governor (between 2003 and 2005). We burnt down Anambra government house and even burnt down ABS (at the time).
"On Wednesday, July 6th, 2021, I got a call from Dogo, Andy Uba's hatchet man who told me to come to GeoGold Hotel in Awka. He told me that 'Oga' (Andy) has a job for me. When I got to Awka in the evening around 8 pm, Dogo drove me to another big hotel. There, I met Oga Andy and one other man with an afro hairstyle whom he calls Chukwuma every time he talks to him.
"I was told by Oga Andy that he wants me to gather my boys and cover Ekwusigo, Ihiala, Nnewi Noth, and South for him. He told me he want me to start shooting and killing people as unknown gunmen. He wants to put fear into people so they will not come out and vote in the coming governorship election. He wants to rig the Anambra election.
"He has boys covering Awka and Idemmili for him. My job is to kill and main people in just four local governments. He gave me five million nairas and told me to go and meet Chief Ekwe at Obosi for four 'walking sticks' (AK47 guns). He promised to bring more money if he see actions from us.
"My gang has no hand in the murder of the big man from Agulu (Dr Chike Akunyili, late former NAFDAC DG, Prof Dora Akunyili's husband) at Nkpor. Oforka and his boys killed him. Oforka and his boys are working for Andy in Idemmili. We killed the student in Nnewi. She was videoing us and we have to shoot her and take her phone. We have killed many people.
"Ojogo and his boys are around Ekwulobia and Anaocha for Oga Andy. Our job is to kill anyone in a political party vehicle and uniform. On Wednesday last week, the 13th of October, he paid us another five million and told us to increase the killings. It was in one of the actions around Nnewi that I was caught. The bullet wound on my leg was from the army.
"I am sorry. I apologize to Anambra State. I know I am going to die because this bullet wound is killing me hence my confession. Please I have just one piece of advice to give to Anambra State indigenes. You should not allow Andy to win the election. He wants power by all means. He has damaged Anambra State for many years. He has used me, Ojogo, Oforka, and Kill and Dry too much. I want to have peace when I die. Please forgive me. My wife, Elizabeth, and my two sons, Mike and Osita, should forgive me too", Elijah Okoh allegedly stated.
Already, the Anambra State Police Command has come out to swiftly deny the alleged confessions by the purported contract gunman, Elijah Okoh, which has been trending on social media. A Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations Unit, Anambra State Command, DCP Aderemi Adeoye, who spoke on behalf of the State Police Commissioner, CP Echeng Echeng, has described the trending news tagged ”MY GANG WAS PAID MILLIONS BY ANDY UBA TO KILL AND MAIM IN ANAMBRA” as strange as far as the Police in the State was concerned.
The state police boss clarified that there is no suspect in their custody who has made such revelation to his officers. Echeng restated that no one is above the law and that if any such disclosure was made against anyone, such indicted fellow would have been brought to cool his feet at the command or summoned for interrogation by the police in the state.
The Police Commissioner, therefore, urged the general public in Anambra state not to fret as his men are in control of the current security situation in the state. He however pleaded with the citizens in the state including the media to eschew sentiments and cooperate with the police in his command by giving secret tips on security threats in the state in a responsible and lawful manner. NNL.
