By Our correspondent
The Anambra State Government, led by Governor Chukwuma Soludo, has sealed off the offices of the Edozie Njoku faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the Labour Party (LP), and the office of Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central Senatorial District.
The offices, located at the Udoka Housing Estate in Awka, the state capital, were sealed off by agents of the state government, accompanied by men dressed in military uniforms.
The reason given for the seal-off was that the estate is a residential area, not a business area.
However, it was gathered that during Soludo’s governorship campaign in 2010, his office was also located in the same Udoka estate, raising questions about the government’s motives.
The Labour Party has condemned the action, stating that it was carried out without notice, warning, or any form of engagement with the party.
The party’s secretary, C.J. Okoli Akirika, described the action as “unfortunate, bizarre, and brazen” and vowed to seek legal redress.
Akirika said the party’s staff were chased away and the office sealed off in a “maniacal, frenzied, and frenetic commando-like operation”.
He accused the state government of attempting to truncate statutorily emplaced procedures and resorting to underhand, illegal, and obnoxious intimidation.
The seal-off has been seen as a move to suppress opposition parties in the state, amidst the ongoing controversy over the leadership of APGA and the recent recognition of Edozie Njoku as the party’s national chairman by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Edozie Njoku faction of APGA has been at loggerheads with the Sly Ezeokenwa leadership of the party, which is loyal to Soludo.
The Labour Party, which fielded Peter Obi as its presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, has also been critical of the state government.
