The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has alerted security agencies to an alleged plot to attack his running mate, Barr. Patrick Mgbebu.
Odii, through his spokesman, Emmanuel Igwe, said the alleged plot was uncovered after Mgbebu emerged as the PDP deputy governorship candidate for the February 2027 election.
Mgbebu, a former member of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly and immediate past representative of the state on the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMAFC), was picked by Odii following consultations with party stakeholders.
Igwe alleged that some unnamed leaders of a political party held a meeting in Abakaliki after Mgbebu’s emergence, where they allegedly discussed plans to target him when he returned from Abuja.
He further alleged that the purported attack was to be presented afterwards as an internal disagreement within the PDP campaign organization.
Igwe said the alleged plotters were also attempting to create social media narratives suggesting that any violence against Mgbebu could have resulted from an internal struggle over the deputy governorship ticket.
According to him, the narratives could also be used to implicate individuals within the PDP campaign, including Emmanuel Ikechukwu Nwobo, a lawyer and supporter of the Anyichuks Gubernatorial Campaign.
Odii expressed concern that political disagreements could degenerate into violence and endanger the lives of political actors in the state.
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He said politics should be centered on ideas, programs, records, and manifestos, adding that political parties in government should defend their records before the electorate rather than resort to intimidation or violence.
“Politics should be about ideas, programs, records, and the presentation of manifestos to the electorate,” Odii said.
He urged security agencies to investigate the allegations and establish whether any individual or group was planning violence against members of the PDP campaign or any other political organization.
Odii also called for the protection of Mgbebu, members of the campaign council, supporters, and other political actors in the state ahead of the election.
He appealed to political parties, candidates, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organizations, and security agencies to work together to ensure a peaceful electoral process.
“The people of Ebonyi State deserve an election conducted in an atmosphere of peace, freedom, and security. Nobody should be intimidated, threatened, or harmed because of his or her political affiliation,” he said.
Odii said investigators should examine every credible lead if any member of his campaign was attacked, including the alleged meeting and the social media narratives purportedly being circulated.
He added that his campaign remained committed to constitutional and democratic means of pursuing its political objectives.
“We will not allow the hard-won democratic freedoms of Nigerians to be undermined by political violence. Ebonyi State must not return to the era when political disagreements were settled through intimidation, violence, or political killings,” Odii said.