Senator accuses Gov. Umahi of assassination threat

The Senator representing Ebonyi Central, Obinna Ogba, has raised the alarm, accusing the state governor, Dave Umahi of issuing threats of assasination to him and victimising his political associates.

This accusation was made by Ogba during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.

According to Ogba, he decided to raise the alarm due to open threats he had been receiving from Umahi, and his brother, Austin Umahi, adding that Umahi should be held responsible if anything happens to him.

He said: “In a national media briefing held at the Executive Council Chambers in Abakaliki on Friday, November 27, 2020, Umahi, made a very damaging and unfounded report against my person and three other prominent persons from Ebonyi State.

“Ordinarily, I could have treated that media briefing as mere gibberish, but coming from a sitting governor, it becomes very necessary to give it the needed attention in order to invite full scrutiny of the dangerous recklessness inherent in the utterances of a Chief Security Officer (CSO) of a state.

“Specifically, when Umahi accused me and three others of engaging cultists and, according to him, some IPOB members to start killings and instigating crises in Ebonyi State, he thus brings the matter into the central realm of criminal law.

“Whether he is ignorant of the crime of joint enterprise to commit an unlawful or harmful act or not, Umahi must put forward the compelling evidence at his disposal that led him to lay such grievous allegations against innocent citizens who were his conveyor belts to his present status as a 2nd term Executive Governor of Ebonyi State.

“Speaking for myself and by way of rebuttal, I wish to state categorically that I have never harboured, recruited, induced or engaged cultists for any purpose whether political or otherwise, in all my personal and public life.

“It is important to state here that should anything happen to me or any member of my family, governor Umahi should be held responsible. Umahi should note that the gentility of the tiger does not mean weakness,” he said.

Speaking on the accusation, the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Ebonyi State, Orji Uchenna Orji, described Ogba’s accusations as “baseless and irresponsible.”

Read also: I ‘preached support’ for Buhari in 2019 election – Umahi

“Senator Ogba’s statement is a political trick from a rejected representative, who is crying foul over non-existent and imaginative allegation. As a government, we are not interested in responding to his allegation.

“The governor has moved forward in his quest to allow peace reign no matter the level of distraction and provocation by detractors.

“The Governor has publicly directed all government officials not to abuse anybody or take any unjustifiable actions against anybody.

“I will advise Senator Ogba to respect the opinion of the people that elected him and play his politics in line with conventions.

“Our Government is not distracted at all. When politics comes, we shall play it very well. We wish him well,” Orji stated.

By Emmanuella Ibe…

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