Okezie Ikpeazu misreads events

SIR: We know that Okezie Ikpeazu, the PDP gubernatorial candidate, wants to become the Governor of Abia State and we wish him all well but not through lying.

Lying, that’s what Abians are tired of. The other is intimidation, that’s what Abians are tired of. The people have contrasted what they hear with what they see and found no relationship. That for years? Yes lost years.

When the media and publicity director, Hon. Osita Igbe goes rile in the defence of his principal, he gets it wrong. Is it Alex Otti that uses force or the governor with a security apparatus which is at Ikpeazu’s disposal that’s using force against the people?

Instructively, Igbe talks about the use of force downside-up, meaning his principal attacks and he goes on air to say, ‘we’re attacked and the attacker is Otti’– a kind of Otti obsession.

The incident at Ikwuano typifies this dance in the dark. PDP bullies came to the venue of the event to stop Otti’s adherents from mounting their canopies and insisted they shouldn’t hold their town hall meeting. There is no provision that says that a candidate should not meet his people and reason with them. To send bullies to prevent that is what Igbe himself should find a name for and tell Abians.

gbe’s nightmare is the weighty rejection of his principal and co-travellers. He said Otti is unleashing terror ‘on any Abian who does not support his ambition to become governor of Abia State.’ No, Igbe, he is not. Alex, despite his privileged standing has come to sit on the floor with his people. When he was prevented from campaigning in open places, he cleared bushes to meet the people if that would prevent bloodshed. When his convoy was attacked at Ikwuano, he turned and came back to Umuahia rather than match force-to-force.

Such restraint is strange to Ikpeazu and crew. He accused Otti of politics of deception. Truth is, Otti is not even a politician let alone the deception thereof. Otti was up, thought his people were up with him, but saw them on the floor, came to the floor, sat with them to take them up. That’s the graphic illustration of Otti’s rescue mission which the Igbes understand as deception because they are not in touch.

It is identifying with the people that’s drawn the separation line. Does Igbe know that Alex Otti who he accuses of deception has given 7,200 Personal Health Insurance care to down-trodden Abians? Contrast this to his Principal Ikpeazu whose understanding of waste disposal is refuse incineration on the highway with its associated health hazards which nobody questions, then you know who is what.

Come again, he compared Alex Otti to Reagan Ufomba who he described as APGA’s gubernatorial candidate. We know these things. How some people are used as smokescreen for subtle sabotage is known too.

But let it be clear to Igbe that Ufomba personally described himself in one of his campaign stumps in Umuahia South as NAFDAC registered. Because ‘I am NAFDAC registered, I can campaign in open places; those without NAFDAC registration campaign in bushes’ he said. Alex Otti is INEC registered and INEC recognised.

Ufomba is NAFDAC recognised but INEC rejected. Igbe should ask him what he is doing in NAFDAC in an INEC project? Sure, misdeeds lead to missteps. This is one of them. Igbe is expected to campaign for Alex too because he and we mean he also desires change. He should not shirk in this call.

• Onyebuchi Onyegbule,
Aba, Abia State