Orgy of Violence and Unending Protests

The issuance of notice of impeachment on Elechi by the state house of assembly on 9 January, 2015, resulted in violent outrage and series of protests by thousands of youths and women loyal to the governor from across the state. Ever since then, the state has not known peace that it was known for, as political intimidation and secret assassinations have gradually taken over the entire state.

For example, the police in Ebonyi through its PPRO, Chris Anyawu, on Friday, 6 March, confirmed the murder of one Ifeanyi Onu, a Labour Party supporter from Umunaga Ward in Ohaozara local government area of the state by suspected political thugs. The deceased was allegedly abducted by assailants at about 10 p.m., who dragged him several kilometres from his home and inflicted severe machete cuts on him before shooting him at close range, allegedly for refusing to join a political party.

Unending protests also greeted the issuance of notice of impeachment on the governor by the 15 members of the state house of assembly loyal to Umahi. Thousands of youths loyal to Elechi took to the streets of in Abakaliki on Monday, 2 March, paralysed all forms of commercial activities in the city for hours. Also, motorists were trapped in a traffic gridlock due to the protest as several major roads were blocked.

The protesters who carried placards with such inscriptions as “Enough is enough; Ebonyi says no to impeachment; Ebonyi State is not for sale; Elechi has fulfilled his campaign promises” and others, had assembled at Abakaliki township stadium from where they marched through the streets to the government house where they were addressed by top government officials. Leonard Igboke who spoke on behalf of other protesters, said Ebonyi youths will not support the impeachment of Governor Elechi.

The secretary to the state government, SSG, Dr. Boniface Chima, who addressed the youths at the government house gate, urged them to vote out bad politicians and vote good leaders who have the masses’ interest at heart.

Chima and other top government officials who received the protesters blamed the crisis on desperate politicians in the state who want to secure power at all costs by feeding the people with falsehood about government, adding that some Ebonyi politicians in Abuja take delight in causing problem in their home state, Ebonyi.

Also on the same day, the nine lawmakers in the state house of assembly who were in support of Governor Elechi, at a press briefing, restated their unalloyed support for him. They noted that the house of assembly which has 24 members needs two thirds majority, which is 16 members, before it can impeach the governor, adding that the impeachment notice which was signed by 15 members does not have constitutional requirement to initiate the impeachment process.

Again on Wednesday, 4 March, thousands of women supporters of Elechi marched through streets of Abakaliki to protest against the impeachment notice. The women who were drawn from the 13 local government areas of the state, terminated their solidarity rally at the main entrance gates of the State Government House, where they were received and addressed by the State commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dr. Ifeanyi Ike and Chima.

The protesters were armed with placards with various inscriptions, like “stop using our children as political thugs, our leaders’ labour will not be in vain, Ebonyi women want leaders and not rulers.”

Mrs. Felicia Egwu, (Woman Leader, Afikpo), who spoke for the women, said governor Elechi was a perfect example of a noble and gentle character. She said women of the state are opposed to the violence gradually taking over the state which she said is being orchestrated and perpetrated by political opponents of the governor. “Women suffer most in violence. We lose our children and our husbands to violence, so we say no to violence. We are saying leave the man alone. Ebonyi women say we will not be part of impeachment. Women are not and will never be part of impeachment,” Mrs. Egwu said.

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Ike, that day, said: “We are not happy with what is happening in Ebonyi, the most peaceful state in Nigeria. People are trying to tamper with the iron gate, and we are not going to allow that. We are not going to allow some people to take away the peace of Ebonyi. This is a man (Governor Elechi) who has given us 38 bridges of unity and an international market. We resist all attempts by political jobbers to destabilise the peace of Ebonyi state. Governor Martin Elechi is the man we want and we will continue to support him. So we are not going to allow that to happen.”

Also addressing the women protesters, Chima, who thanked them for their solidarity, said the people of the State love President Goodluck Jonathan and will continue to support him, adding, “But we are against satanic agents of darkness who want to turn the state upside down.”

The state commissioner for women affairs, Lady Mary Joy Umoke, commended the women for their solidarity in support for governor Elechi, saying no to impeachment.