Enugu Elections : LG chairman, supporter flee angry youths over alleged vote-buying
Obiora Obeagu, the executive chairman of the Isi-Uzo Local Government Area in Enugu State, escaped being killed on Saturday by the youths in his village.
The chairman and an unnamed woman were almost surrounded after they allegedly tried to buy votes in his polling place during the governorship and House of Assembly elections.
Obeagu and Hon. Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party are both from the same Eha-Amufu in the Isi-Uzo Local Government Area.
The chairman, a woman, and another allegedly came to the polling place with money to bribe voters into voting for Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) rather than Labour Party, according to eyewitness accounts given to journalists who were in the area to observe the election process (LP).
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The eyewitness described what happened as follows: “This morning, the Chairman of Isi-Uzo Local Government Area, Hon. Obeagu, came to this Polling Unit, called some people aside, and started giving them money to make them vote for the ZLP.
“Their goals were to stifle the votes that Chijioke Edeoga, the LP governorship candidate, should receive in Isi-Uzo. God is to be praised for the soldiers’ swift action.
He arrived with a woman and a second man. They advised people to select the final logo on the ballot that included people. Some villagers were seriously duped by this.
The neighborhood kids saw what was happening, so they escorted him away. The lady was acting in the same manner, which we had also noticed. The man and the lady were both being beaten by the youths.
The military had to intervene to stop the already enraged youths from beating the man and woman to unconsciousness. The soldiers took them into custody, but they were later released and told to leave the voting booth.
He continued by saying that in order to save the Council Chairman, Obeagu, from the angry youths, soldiers had to act quickly.
Later, the police directed him away from the voting location.
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When approached, Obeagu declined to comment on the incident and instead told reporters that he was having trouble speaking and that there were already many problems in the area.
The early hours of Saturday saw the arrest of about 30 armed thugs in various locations throughout Isi-Uzo.
