governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State,Barr Venatius Ikem, has beenn attacked by political thugs at the party’s secretariat in Obudu local government area, while declaring his intention to run for the 2019 elections.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The thugs had earlier on attacked the secretariat vandalizing the building and chasing away party members, who were waiting for the declaration to start. Ikem, a lawyer and also an Obudu indigene, had then led his supporters on foot to the secretariat and while he was preparing to address them a large group of thugs once again descended on the secretariat, beating up APC members randomly. Vanguard gathered that the thugs beat up people, with stones, sticks, bottles and machetes, while breaking the windows of the building. They went ahead to enter the Secretariat building, where Ikem had retreated into and attacked anyone in sight. Vanguard also learned that The Nation’s reporter, Mr Nicholas Kalu narrowly escaped being lynched as the hoodlums noticed he was trying to take pictures, they gave him a hot chase to attack him, but he ran off and got a commercial motorcycle rider popularly known as Okada, who sped off from the scene. Chapter chairman of APC in Abi local government area, Romanus Egbonyi, who sustained a deep gash in his left arm said it was unfair for the party, which is law abiding to be treated the way it was. His words : “I want to say that this would not deter us at all. We all came here to witness the formal declaration of Barr Venatius Ikem, and got attacked.Our party is one that would provide a level playing ground for all aspirants. “If the powers that be in the state are confident of themselves, why do they have to descend so low to attack us physically in our own premises here in Obudu?” he queried. The whereabouts of Barr Ikem as at press time was unknown as there was pandemonium in the area.