By Tony Adibe
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Enugu State, in the March 11 governorship poll, Chief Frank Nweke Jr, has expressed shock and sadness over the killings on Wednesday of the Labour Party (LP) senatorial candidate for Enugu East Senatorial zone Barrister Oyibo Chukwu, and several others, saying that “violence has no place in 21st century democracy.”
In a statement issued to journalists in Enugu on Thursday, Mr. Nweke strongly condemned the killings of Barrister Chukwu and several others by unidentified gunmen. The statement read: “I am stunned and deeply saddened by the news of the murder of Barrister Oyibo Chukwu, the Labour Party Senatorial Candidate for Enugu East and several others in a gruesome attack on Wednesday night by Amechi Junction in Enugu.
“We also received reports of a similar attack on a campaign vehicle of the People’s Democratic Party, leaving one person dead. I condemn these heinous acts and send my condolences to the families and friends of the victims. No ambition is worth the life of any individual, and our politics must evolve past this insatiable thirst for power. Violence has no place in 21st century democracy.
“These violent attacks leave deep scars on our growing democracy and seek to undermine the importance of the 2023 general elections by instilling fear in the hearts of our people. I encourage ndi Enugu and, indeed, Nigerians to stay calm as we urge the authorities to speedily move forward with a thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators to book without fear or favour.
“Our security agencies must also intensify measures to forestall further attacks and ensure that Nigerians – politicians and electorates alike, are protected throughout the elections. These are trying times, and we must keep praying for our state and our nation. God bless Enugu State. God bless Nigeria.”
