Politics
Delta 2023: My Life Is Under Threat Over My Court Case Against Oborevwori —Ikie
By Daniel Dafe
A governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Parry, PDP in Delta State, Aghwarianovwe Ikie, has alleged that plans have been concluded to assassinate him over his court case against the party’s governorship candidate, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori.
In a press release on Tuesday, titled: ‘Escalation of threat to my life!’, the party chieftain said: “A well wisher informed me on 28/10/2022 that a meeting held at Asaba, Delta State of Nigeria on 25/10/2022,” adding: “At the said meeting, the Emperor made a pronouncement that I should be found and eliminated.”
According to him, this leaked information came from a prominent Old Boy of Government College Ughelli who was in attendance at the said meeting.
He continued: “It is public knowledge that my appeal hearing at the Federal High Court commences on 15/12/2022. Now at about 11pm on 11/12/2022, a Black vehicle with tinted windows and screened number plates (with black leather) patrolled the street where my Eku Country Home is situated. The vehicle eventually parked by my fence, around the foot access point, for about 20 minutes. The occupants were overheard talking about my Surveillance Cameras. The vehicle had been seen in my vicinity earlier that afternoon. These same supposed assassins, returned to the front of my said compound again on 12/12/2022.”
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“Let me say this. Stop wasting your time. I know that you will try to track me in Abuja in order to fulfil your evil mission. You have failed already because I know.
“I need the public to be aware of how my life is being threatened just for exercising my Constitutional rights. I will not be bought and will never succumb to threats. Politics shouldn’t be about assassinating those who do not agree with you. Nigeria must leave such barbarism behind. Rest assured that whoever threatens my life will not go Scot free,” his statememt added.
Ikie in an earlier statement said that the political structures were tilted to predetermine the outcome of the party’s Gubernatorial Primary.
In his words, “right from the outset, the dice was loaded in favour of the Governor; Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.”
He also alleged that the PDP State Party machinery rigged the process of “electing” the 835 delegates in favour of the sitting Governor.
“The Party ensured that no delegates election took place across the State. The Governor, through his lackeys, selected the entire 835 Delegates and wore the sham/illegal process, the garb of legal election.
“Specifically, as an aspirant, the law empowered me to sponsor potential AdHoc delegates to participate in the Delegates election. I therefore purchased AdHoc Delegates Nomination Forms for myself and others. To my surprise, the Party failed to make provisions for the said nomination forms to be submitted for the contest. In the first instance, obstacles were erected at the point of purchasing the Forms at Wadata Plaza. Further, no 3-Man AdHoc elections were held but AdHoc delegates emerged (come and see American wonder!). I was even aware of the identities of the 3-Man AdHoc delegates selected from my Ward before the sham Election Day arrived. I made my frustration known to a congregation of my Ward members on the day set aside for the sham election of the AdHoc delegates. The INEC Monitors were hoodwinked into believing that an election was taking place; little did they know that decisions as to who emerges were made prior. The 25 National Delegates were also the Local Government Area Party Leaders that were appointed by Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.
“In essence, the Governor had all 835 delegates long under his personal control before the first shot was fired,” he said.
Recall that Ikie commenced a case against the primaries of the PDP on the ground of over-voting.
He lost the said case at the Federal High Court, Warri and again at the Court of Appeal, Asaba. The matter is now in the Supreme Court.
Also, on the 13th of October, 2022, he commenced another matter at the Federal High Court, Abuja (FHC/ABJ/CS/1857/2022) by way of Writ of Summons.
His second case challenges the eligibility of Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori to contest the Primary.