An ironic twist to a political seminar for candidates at Ihiala, Anambra State, last Saturday forced former governor of the state, Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju and former President-General of the apex Igbo organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Dozie Ikedife, to flee the venue to safety.
Both Mbadinuju, Ikedife and others had gone there as guest lecturers at the seminar. They were all seated when some gunmen invaded the place and started shooting sporadically and in the process, everybody scampered to safety and left and never went back.
The member representing Ihiala federal constituency and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate for the constituency, Hon. Vitalis Okafor, told The Nation that the seminar was organised by the Elders’ Council of the area for the candidates of all political parties in the area. Okafor alleged that the gunmen threatened him, warning him to voluntarily step down or face the consequences.
Okafor alleged that two of those hoodlums were recognised, and they were according to him, was quickly reported to the State Police Command.
He said that police had commenced investigation to the incident.
When contacted, Ikedife confirmed the incident. He said: “The topic of the lecture I was to deliver was “The functions of a legislator to community development’. It was a terrible day; we had to leave and no lecture was delivered.
“Mbadinuju was there; Ven. Prof. Eddy Ilogu, 93-year-old based in the US; Dr Chris Ezike, the traditional prime minister of Mbosi, who is 92; Barrister J D C Megwa, who is 89, we were all there. “These are old men who cannot be rabble rousers, yet we were dispersed in such a manner by the hoodlums”, he said.
Though, the state police commissioner, Muthari Ibrahim, did not confirm the story, he told The Nation yesterday that he was aware that some cases were reported to the command and that they were being looked into.
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Ex-governor, Ohanaeze chief, others flee as gunmen invade seminar