Tension in Imo  over alleged plan to assassinate PDP national Secretary

By Chinonso Alozie

The National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator  Samdaddy Anyamwu, on Tuesday accused the 2023 embattled candidate of the  Ahiazu Mbaise state constituency, in Imo state, Rex Okoro, and the alleged “killer squad” group of planning to assassinate him (Anynawu).

Anyanwu disclosed this to newsmen in Owerri, through his Special Adviser on Media, Ikenna Onuoha.

Senator Anyanwu said he got the information of the plot to assassinate him, from Okoro’s group, via a voice note, following the rescheduled Ahiazu Mbaise state constituency PDP primaries where they had sent out a warning message to the PDP, national leadership that they would burn down the state secretariat and kill Anyanwu, should Rex Okoro fail to emerge winner at the cancelled and reschedule PDP Ahiazu Mbaise state constituency state primaries.

According to Anyanwu,  “We have uncovered a discreet and underground plot by desperate politicians in Imo State to assassinate the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu and his close Aides.

“The plot to permanently silence Senator Anyanwu and his Aides was revealed after the National Working Committee (NWC) of PDP acted on recommendations by a committee set up by the party to look into the alleged massive rigging that surrounded the conduct of primaries in Ahiazu Mbaise State Constituency on 26th May 2022 and the erroneous declaration of one of the aspirants, Rex Okoro as the winner.

“The fact is that the cancellation was not targeted at Imo State alone, as other states in the country were also affected. Pained by the cancellation and rescheduling of a fresh primary election in the constituency, Messrs Uchenna Onyenagubo, Chidi Maurice Jnr, and their accomplices, in nine (9) scenes voice notes threatened to burn and kill the PDP National Secretary, Senator Anyanwu anywhere he is sighted within Imo state.

“In the said voice notes, the group, acting in support and on behalf of one Rex Okoro and in cohorts with their killer squads vowed to shut down the Imo State Secretariate of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), destroy other notable public structures and hack anyone directly or indirectly linked to Senator Anyanwu’s political camp. The voice notes (though still intact) will be made available when necessary.

“While security operatives have been briefed of this orchestrated plot to assassinate the PDP National Scribe and his close Aides, we, therefore, notify Traditional Rulers in Imo State, Religious Leaders and the public of this development. However, we are worried that these killer squads may be hiding under the popular “unknown gunmen” to perpetuate this wicked, devilish and heinous act. It is therefore unfortunate that politics in the Imo state is turning into a war zone to the extent that people find pleasure in killing their opponents for no just cause.”

Reacting, Rex Okoro, a candidate of the Ahiazu Mbaise state constituency, and former Special Adviser on Youth Affairs, under Governor Emeka Ihedioha’s administration, said: “I don’t know about this, how a small person like me will kill a Goliath of the National Secretary. I have not been anything but the National secretary has been a local government chairman, state assembly lawmaker, a senator and now a national secretary. This is propaganda taken too far. I least expected it.”