Pointblanknews.com gathered that hardly had the Senator started addressing the party stakeholders when the Deputy Chairman of the LGA, Chief Chuks Amaike attacked him, asking why he came to the area and was still contesting for the governorship position when Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has anointed a candidate for the position.
Recall that Ikpeazu’s anointed candidate, Prof. Uche Ikonne, hails from Isiala Ngwa North LGA while Abaribe is from Obingwa LGA.
It was further gathered that the Deputy Chairman also took Abaribe to the cleaners that he has never supported any governorship candidate from Ngwa land and cited several cases where the senator supported other candidates against his Ngwa kinsmen.
Attempts by the stakeholders at the meeting to stop the angry Deputy Chairman from further attacking the senate minority leader did not work as he continued to rain abuses on the senator.
In what appeared like a planned attack, some hoodlums were said to have invaded the venue as the stakeholders and other people scampered to safety. The hoodlums took over the venue and upturned the tables and chairs, even as the senator and team were prevailed to leave the area.
According to a supporter of Senator Abaribe; simply identified as Chidi; “No doubt this is a planned attack. The senator was just opening his speech when the Deputy Chairman stood up and started attacking him, asking why he came to the area and was still campaigning when Governor Okezie Ikpeazu had anointed a candidate. He said that Abaribe has never supported the governorship ambition of any of his Ngwa kinsmen. People appealed to him to calm down and allow the Senator to make his speech, but the Deputy Chairman resisted them. Then, we didn’t know from where thugs came and invaded the venue and people ran away. The invasion of the venue by thugs showed that it was a planned attack on Abaribe. We are waiting for them, let’s see how they will campaign in Obingwa and Aba.”
Already the situation has drawn bad blood between the political stakeholders of Ikonne’s LGA, Isiala Ngwa North and Abaribe’s Obingwa LGA. Accusing fingers are being pointed at some leading members of the Ikonne camp from Isiala Ngwa for allegedly sponsoring the Deputy Chairman and the hoodlums to attack Abaribe and stop him from further incursions into the area. A former speaker of the state House of Assembly is alleged to have coordinated the attack.
In a strongly worded press statement; Chairman of Obingwa LGA, Hon. Michael Ibe Nwoke, said the attack on Abaribe equals an attack on the people of Obingwa LGA and tasked the security agencies to invite the Deputy Chairman to explain he attacked the senator and who are his sponsors.
He wondered why Abaribe who had visited Abia North zone where he was warmly received without any incident, was attacked at Isiala Ngwa North, who share the same ancestry with Obingwa people.
While calling on Amaike to apologize to the Senator within the next 24 hours or have the people of Obingwa to contend with, the Obingwa LGA Boss further urged the State working Committee of the PDP to take disciplinary actions on anyone found culpable in order to protect the interest of the party.
Efforts to get Senator Abaribe to react to the incident did not work. Also , the phone line of Uche Awom, his media aide, indicated that it was switched off as at press time.