Cheif Abia Onyiike, Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has urged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to campaign based on issues and restrained from comments that may overheat the polity in the 2023 general elections.
Onyike, who is the Director, Media and Publicity, Anyichuks Campaign Organisation in a statement on Tuesday accused the state government of Promoting divisions on clannish and artificial differences between administrative zones.
According to the statement, Governor David Umahi and other APC leaders during their Campaign rallies at Izzi, Ikwo, Afikpo North and Ohaukwu LGAs was the height of the verbal incitement of one group against other political parties in the state.
The statement read in part: “Even the attack on the person and candidature of Senator Sam Ominyi Egwu, was uncalled for and provocative. “Democracy does not limit any body from contesting elections and nobody has the legitimate authority to stop the electorate from voting for any candidate of their choice.
“APC should stop dividing Ebonyi State along sub-ethnic and primordial sentiments, as such a practice can become the nurturing ground for communal disturbances.
“Dr. Sam Egwu is a popular candidate for re-election into the Senate. Using such childish antics to cast aspersions on his candidature is a sign of political rascality which shows that the APC is not prepared for the 2023 elections.
“The problem with the APC is that its autocratic imposition of candidates had robbed it of popular and acceptable candidates. It is this realization by some of the APC leaders that gave rise to these soap box rhetorics.”