This comes as the deputy governorship candidate of the party, Mr Ifeanyi Ossia, is also being accused of threatening Catholic priests in Enugu North senatorial district for preaching against bad leadership and asking people not to vote for people who have been using government machinery to terrorise the people in the state.
The Enugu State chapter of the Peoples Democratic says it has petitioned the Inspector General of Police against the senator-elect for Enugu North senatorial district, Chief Okey Ezea for allegedly making inciting statements ahead of the March 11 governorship election.
This comes as the deputy governorship candidate of the party, Mr Ifeanyi Ossia, is also being accused of threatening Catholic priests in Enugu North senatorial district for preaching against bad leadership and asking people not to vote for people who have been using government machinery to terrorise the people in the state.
There have been reports that a few days before the election, some armed thugs believed to have been sponsored by PDP invaded several Catholic church parishes in Nsukka and threatened Reverend fathers and their parishioners over their choice to vote against candidates of PDP.
One of the attacks occurred at Ede-Oballa Catholic parish. The priest of the church, according to a source, was later held hostage for about an hour before police intervened and saved the day.
Since the incident, neither the PDP nor the government of Enugu State has condemned the invasion and the attacks on the religious leaders.
One of the affected Catholic priests who spoke on condition of anonymity because his bishop did not authorise him to speak to journalists, said, "The state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has approached the church leadership to douse the tension. However, the deputy governorship candidate is yet to apologise.
"He hasn't been elected and has started threatening fire and brimstone on how he will deal ruthlessly with the priest and those who didn't support PDP. When he becomes deputy governor then he will be a terror to the people of Enugu State. It is good that they are showing their colour before the election.”
“The PDP wants to play the religious card, their people are telling some of our priests that the PDP candidate is a Catholic and the Labour Party candidate is of an Anglican church," he said.
The latest was the threat Ossai allegedly issued to a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr Emeka Isife of St. Patrick's Parish, Ohom Orba.
Ohom Orba is in the Uden local government area of Enugu State, the home town of the incumbent governor Ugwuanyi, who vied and lost his Senatorial bid to represent Enugu North district.
“Ossai has not been elected and he has started issuing threats to Catholic priests and other religious leaders for preaching against bad administration in the state and the country at large and has started issuing threats how much more when he is elected.
“In an obvious threat to harm Fr Isife, the PDP deputy governorship candidate called the anointed one, to say he was informed that he (Isife) was campaigning for Labour Party candidates in the church.
“The desperate Ossai ended the call with these words: ‘Fr Isife, you have started a battle you cannot finish. I will handle you both inside and outside the church. This is a promise, not a threat," a source told SaharaReporters.
Meanwhile, the PDP Campaign Council in a statement issued on Sunday called on the police chief to arrest and prosecute Ezea, who was the Labour Party’s candidate in the February 25 National Assembly election.
According to the statement, the petition was dated March 2, 2023, and entitled “Petition Against Mr. Okey Ezea for Threats of and Incitement to Violence.” It was signed by the state secretary of the party, Mr Cletus Akalusi.
The petition reads, “We of the PDP, Enugu State chapter, hereby make a report and bring to your esteemed attention the serious tension within Enugu State following the very inflammatory statements made by one Mr Okey Ezea, the Senator-elect, Enugu North Senatorial Zone, on the platform of the Labour Party.
“He made the offensive statements while addressing his supporters at his Itchi country home in Igboeze South LGA of the state, where he described the forthcoming governorship election in the State as ‘a do-or-die game’ in Enugu North Senatorial District.
“These threats and incitement to violence were made without any provocation and obviously represent a first step in the pack of plots to unleash mayhem on unsuspecting citizens of Enugu State on Election Day.
“A video of Mr Ezea making these assertions has gone viral on social media platforms and has instilled fear and panic among our teeming supporters in Enugu North Senatorial Zone in particular and Enugu State in general of the likelihood of violence on the day of the governorship election.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Mr Ezea’s inflammatory statements do not only amount to hate speech and breach of the accord for peaceful election signed by all the political parties and their candidates but also more seriously, constitute an infraction of Section 128 of the Electoral Act, 2022, which criminalizes such conduct.
“It is our belief that Mr Ezea’s arrest has become very expedient to ensure a conducive environment for the people of Enugu State, especially the people of Enugu North senatorial zone, to freely exercise their franchise irrespective of the party or candidate that they support.
“In the circumstance, we urge you, sir, to use your good offices to direct the immediate arrest and prosecution of Mr Okey Ezea so as to ensure the peaceful conduct of governorship elections in Enugu State on March 11, 2023."