Mr. Sunny Onyejose, the Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ika North East LGA of Delta State, narrowly escaped death, as he was attacked by some political thugs for refusing to allow them rig election in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Mr. Sunny Onyejose, during an interactive session with newsmen recounted his ordeal in the hands of his attackers at Isenu Primary School, Owerre-Olubor; his country home; in Ika North East LGA of Delta State, on Saturday January 6, 2018. Continuing, he stated that immediately after the election, before the counting of the ballot papers, he was called upon by some reporters from Ika Weekly Newspaper for an interview. While he was introducing himself and explaining how the election went, some thugs came to where he was answering the reporters’ questions and bounced on him and started beating him.
Continuing, he said, “The good thing is that I want to prove to the governor of Delta State, that he cannot eat his cake and have it. This is my community, I am a law abiding citizen of this community, we are peace loving people; based on this we do not need any intimidation from anybody”.
Emphasizing that as a chairman of a ruling party in the country, he needs to make peace in his community during the election that being what he promised himself and his community.
Speaking further, the APC leader disclosed that the election was going on peacefully and his party was succeeding both in the Chairmanship and Councilor election and immediately the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) knew that they wouldn’t have their way; they decided to obstruct the counting of the ballot papers. He stated that the thugs attacked him, for them to have their way to slot in the ballot papers they brought from elsewhere, saying that while fighting him, they had their way.
Mr. Onyejose, emphasized that if Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, in-charge of the election will carefully inspect those ballot papers that were counted, they will discover that the ones the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), brought in, were not signed nor stamped. Continuing, the APC Chairman, revealed that all the calls he has been receiving from the various wards also disclosed that what happened to him was exactly what happened in some other communities where PDP feared that APC would have the majority votes. Saying, “I know too that these sets of people are the ones that are doing the dirty jobs, but however, I want to say to the PDP and to the governor of Delta State, that they have shown what they are, what they have been doing and because they are not having it free anymore like they used to have it, because a party that is going to take over the state come 2019, has emerged and it will surely happen.”
When asked if men of the Nigeria Police Force were there when he was being beaten, he responded that the Police officers were there and he even heard people around calling the attention of the policemen to what was happening, but they jumped into their Hilux van and drove away.
According to Mr. Onyejose, “I don’t know the type of Policemen that we have in this country, in Delta State, today. I don’t know whether they are police just to extort money from individuals, and people that have money can use them to intimidate others. Yet, we are told that the police are assigned to protect the citizenry.” He emphasized that it is most unfortunate that the police are no more protecting lives and properties.