By Esther Eugene
A thirty seven year old member of the All Progressives Congress, APC,Bright James have been allegedly attacked and wounded by suspected armed thugs for voting against their candidate in Aladja Community,Udu Local Government Area of Delta State.
Properties of the APC were also destroyed in the attacks.
James was attacked at Oviri quartets in the Community.
The injured APC member is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
It was learnt that the victim and other APC members were in the street celebrating the victory of Hon. Barr. Collins Egbetamah who was declared the winner of the DTHA election in Udu when the armed thugs struck.
The armed thugs blocked the road saying, APC members should not rejoice their candidate who lost in the election. They stoned and chased the APC members with cuttlasses, sticks and other dangerous weapons.
They beat the APC members as well as threatened to kill them unless the result of the DTHA election is reversed in favour of their candidate.
The matter is before the Ovwian/Aladja Police Division where it was reported.
In a chat with Our Correspondent,the APC member, James disclosed that many others who were also attacked have abandoned their homes for fear of being attacked for the second time.
He said other members of the APC were seriously beaten to stupor during the attack because they voted against the opposition candidate who is from their Community and others.
He said the attack was uncalled for and very barbaric of the armed thugs and their sponsors.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress, APC in Delta State said armed thugs are allegedly going from house to house of its members(APC) and subjecting them to all manner of harassment and physical beatings while issuing threats to them to vacate the Community.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Delta State APC Publicity Secretary, Valentine Onojeghuo Esq.
The APC said it members are being intimidated and publicly harassed from their official work places and homes allegedly by the PDP because they voted against the Hon. Jite Brown in the just concluded gubernatorial and house of assembly elections in the State.
It also claimed that its members are being forced out of jobs in all the motor parks, tipper garages and sand beaches by PDP members on the directive of the Council Chairman, Jite Brown, who coincidentally lost the house of assembly elections to Hon. Collins Egbetamah of the APC.
The APC said the People’s Democratic Party, PDP is purportedly coordinating an intimidation and harassment against its members across the State with the tacit support of the Delta State Government.
“Teachers who were suspected as having voted and worked for the APC during the elections have been allegedly summoned to the post Primary School Board in Asaba to face query and possible severe disciplinary actions of dismissal taken against them.
According to the APC,”local government workers and staff are also being witch-hunted in several local government secretariats accross the State for the simple fact of exercising their civic and constitutional duty of voting for a particular candidate.”
It said the PDP have embarked on a revenge mission as a pay back for its defeat against its members barely a weeks after the just concluded governorship election in the State.
The APC also said the alleged move by the PDP is “shameful” and “disgraceful” treatment being meted out to its members as a retribution for expressing their constitutional rights of freedom of association and the free will to elect candidates of their choice.
The APC also said the alleged move by the PDP is a “callous” and “crude” display of intimidation and harassment against innocent citizens of the State.
It said that the move by the PDP is intended to serve as a “vengeful vendetta” against perceived ‘enemies’ that voted against the candidates of the PDP and the State government in the just concluded general elections.
“this is completely against the tenets of our constitution and totally repugnant to natural justice”the APC insisted.
The APC urged the Dr. Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa led Delta State Government to as a matter urgent public safety and security and the need to maintain a peaceful environment in the State, to immediately direct all those who are presently engaged in this unholy act of savagery and barbarity against innocent indigenes of the State, to desist forthwith any or every act of political intimidation and harassment against imaginary enemies as an expression of their loyalty to the State government and PDP.
The APC said it will not told its hands and watch its members beaten and harrassed continuously by the armed thugs in the State.
“As a law abiding organisation that values the rules of law and