Police in Imo state have allegedly clamped down on top chieftains of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) following Thursday’s humiliation of former President Olusegun Obasanjo; former Foreign Affairs Minister, Ojo Maduekwe; former People’s Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman, Ahmadu Ali and other chieftains of the party who had stormed Owerri in solidarity to Governor Ikedi Ohakim on the grand finale of his governorship campaign.



The clampdown, our reporter gathered is said to have so far affected about 16 members of APGA including top aides of Owelle Rochas Okorocha, the party’s governorship candidate in Imo state.



The party however expressed dismay that having earlier arrested the Chief Security Officer of Okorocha, an ASP, the police for reasons the party believes to be political, yesterday arrested Prince Eze Madumere, the Chief of Staff to Rochas Okorocha after the APGA road show on Thursday.



The episode followed angry reactions that eventually spilled to the streets of Owerri following government refusal to allow the party access to public facilities for their campaign rally.



Consequently suspected members of APGA had barricaded the route to the government house; caused a terrible traffic gridlock and had also pelted Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Governor Ikedi Ohakim and their convoy with satchet water in the course of the road show.



According to a chieftain of APGA who craved anonymity, “The state government had without any justification denied us the use of three public facilities we had duly paid for, so we had no choice but to take our rally to the streets. It was violent-free, though rowdy, but our message was clear.”



As at press time, APGA loyalists have continued to express concern over the whereabout of Owelle Rochas Okorocha, the party’s governorship flagbearer and his deputy, Mr. Jude Agbaso. Effort s to locate the duo proved abortive and visits to their residents yielded no results as aides on ground were all at a loss as to their where about. Okorochas number was unlike him, still not accessible as at the time of filing this report.



While some party faithfuls fear Okorocha may have been arrested, others insisted he may have pre-emptively gone into hiding.



Consequently, over 200 women had earlier in the day staged a protest march to the state police headquarters to demand the release of APGA chieftains being held by the command.



Effort to confirm the situation from the police was unsuccessful as the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Linus Nwaiwu told our correspondent that the Police was doing everything necessary to ensure hitch-free elections in Imo state but declined to comment on the alleged clampdown and arrest of aides of Okorocha saying he had not been briefed on the matter.



When contacted, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr. Audu Madaki as well declined to comment saying that it was not his duty to speak to the press, that only the PPRO and the Commissioner of Police had the mandate to do so. It was however gathered that the Commissioner had since been re-deployed to Abia state.



Commenting on the development, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume has called on the Federal Government to caution the Imo state government over its undemocratic acts of intimidation against the opposition in the state. Araraume noted that the opposition had so far conducted its activities with utmost decorum in the face of deliberate provocation and harassment by the state government. He therefore called on the relevant authorities and law enforcement agencies to immediately intervene before the situation in Imo degenerates into anarchy.

Ohakim,Ohakim,Ohakim!

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Ohakim is getting ready to live like mubarak