Anambra Government And Peter Obi Spat Over Meeting In Agulu

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The Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi, was yesterday allegedly stopped by Anambra State Government from holding a meeting in Agulu.

The news which first
was taken as a rumour was confirmed when the people of the town, already
seated for the meeting at 1p.m. were asked by the President General of
the town, Mr. Andy Orakwue to leave the hall of Agulu Town Union
Building on the terse reason that the meeting had been called off.

However,
Chief Press Secretary to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, Mr.
James Eze dismissed the story as unreasonable, pointing out that if no
such action was taken against Obi in an election he was involved in, how
would such be when he was not a contestant.

“It fails all logic
to vend such stories. How can the government stop him? The Governor does
not even have the power to do so and would never do so. Peter Obi held
several meetings when he was contesting as Vice President and has been
holding more and nobody stopped him so why should the government stop
his meeting when he is not a candidate. Stopping his meeting is akin to
stopping him from visiting Anambra and that did not and cannot happen.
It is not true,” Eze said.

The President General was alleged to
be under pressure to call off the meeting by security agents even when
he explained that it was a routine meeting with the people, carefully
chosen to hold before those that came home for elections would start
returning to their bases.

The President General who presented the
agenda which had “Thank you by the Vice Presidential Candidate,
discussion on the planned empowerment of the people of the town by Mr.
Peter Obi, and Peter Obi’s Mentorship Programme” as the only three items
to security agents to convince them that it had no political undertone,
was asked to call off the meeting in his own interest, since the order
came from the government.

The Special Adviser on Media to the
Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP, Valentine Obienyem, when
contacted confirmed the story.

According to Mr. Obienyem, “His
Excellency received many calls from security agencies on the meeting.
Saddened by so violation of freedom of association contrary to the
constitution, Obi said they had not given him enough reasons not to meet
with his people. He even went on to demand they send their agents to
monitor the meeting which had nothing to do with politics, but they
would not listen, saying the order came from the government.

“Obi
did not want to obey clear illegality as happened when the same people
tried to stop him from coming to the state on flimsy reasons, but, alas,
after much pressure, the subdued President General had to call it off.
The irony of the situation is that the government said they were bent on
making sure Obi loses his constituency even when Obi is not so much
keen on which party wins the House of Assembly as his major concern now
has to do with national issues.”

Reacting to the development in a
letter by Good Governance Vanguard signed by its Chairman, Mr. Maduagwu
Eric-kenny and Chief Emma Ejidike, the group said that “His Excellency
Mr. Peter Obi is an illustrious son of Agulu, we are proud of him and he
has every right to hold meeting and associate with his people.” The
group warned those interfering with Obi’s fundamental right and freedom
of association to desist from such illegality

Source:- Thisdaylive

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