The newly sworn-in Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Paul Ituma, has warned opposition politicians to stay away from the council area ahead of the 2027 election or submit to his party the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru.
A video clip which showed Mr Ituma making the remarks surfaced on social media on Wednesday, barely 24 hours after Governor Nwifuru threatened to remove any chairman who fails to win his council area for the APC in the 2027 election.
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Speaking at a meeting after his inauguration, Mr Ituma said anyone against Governor Nwifuru or the APC had become his enemy henceforth and should stay away from Ohaukwu LGA.
“Except maybe based on what the governor has said, the opposition wants to submit to us so that we can embrace them. Anybody who is not thinking in that direction should not come around Ohaukwu Local Government because Ohaukwu is cordoned off, and anybody who dares to do that will be declared persona non grata,” the chairman said.
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Continuing, he said: “Anybody who wants to bring sand to put in my garri should not come to Ohaukwu. Anybody who is fighting the governor of Ebonyi State is my enemy from today and will be treated like an enemy.
“If you are not of APC’s stock, don’t come close to us. This is the time for politics. I don’t have a shop at the International Market or Okwo Ngbo Market; politics is my business.”
Governor’s remarks
Mr Ituma’s remarks followed an earlier threat by Governor Nwifuru to sack any council chairman that failed to win his council area for the APC in the 2027 election.
“As a local government chairman, if you like, go and sleep so that another person will take over your house.
“You will not stop us (APC) from winning. But when we win, we will remove you,” the governor had told the newly inaugurated chairmen.
Obioma Ezenwobodo, an Abuja-based legal practitioner, told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Nwifuru has no power to remove any local government chairman.
Mr Ezenwobodo stressed that Ebonyi State has a local law which guides the operations of the local government areas in the state.
Not the first time in Nigeria
This is not the first time Nigerian politicians would threaten opposition politicians before or during an election in the country.
In August, the Chairman of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, Danjuma Shekwolo, issued a controversial warning to residents, asking them to either vote for APC in 2027 or leave the council area.
Following public outrage against his comments as well as calls for his arrest, Mr Shekwolo clarified that the remarks had been taken out of context and did not reflect his intention or the position of his administration.
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Earlier, Osun East Senator, Francis Fadahunsi, issued a similar threat ahead of the just concluded Osun Governorship Election.
Mr Fadahunsi, during a rally hours before the election, asked APC supporters to “kill” members of the rival Accord Party ahead of the Saturday’s governorship election.
In response to the backlash, the senator’s media team issued a statement clarifying that the lawmaker meant his supporters should “kill” the Accord Party with their votes, not through violence.
He would later be invited by the police for questioning over the threat.
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