..say “I have to defend self”
Former Delta State House of Assembly (DTHA), member and one of the leaders of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Aniocha south local government area, Hon. Austine Chikezie, has lamented the unprovoked invasion of his country home in Ejeme by some youths in the council area.
Chikezie, who raised the alarm on Tuesday 21 May 2024, while speaking with journalists at his residence in Asaba, the State capital, alleged that the youths forcefully broke into his residential building.
Narrating his ordeal in their hands, Chikezie, said: “On Saturday 18th May 2024, I decided to visit my workers especially in the Oil Mill that is close to my house.
“Then, have a small meeting with them and to receive visitors because that is what I do every Saturday, I go to the village get feelers from my people before I go back to the main town.
*I was sitting with my immediate eldest brother and the son when I heard a big bang on the gate. The vigilante man whom I employed there in my house as a security, was there.
“He ran to tell me that somebody was dragging his gun with him. I then stood up and asked him to go inside.
“Before, I knew it, they pushed the gate open and came, it was an invasion. They were up to 20, shouting that they came for the party’s councilorship primaries.
“I told them that they are not doing party primaries in my house, the venue is the town hall and that even if we say we are doing it anywhere, you must be accredited. Are all of you accredited to be there that you are banging on me?
“Before, I knew it, they entered inside and started chatting war songs. So, at that stage I have to defend myself and shouted for people to come and it was my shout that drew the attention of every other person.
“I looked back before I could know what was happening, somebody has blocked my gate of my house with his car, one Brown … has used his car to block the gate of my house
“I have to inform the police at Nsukwa to come and rescue me and it was that noise that I made and that my defense that attracted peoples attention otherwise nobody knew what they were out to do.
“And I stand to say that they were not party stakeholders. If they were party stakeholders, let them tender” cuts in “especially that boy that had that confrontation with me, let him tender evidence that he is a party stakeholder or he was a party stakeholder.
“And even if he is a party stakeholder, my place was not the venue for the primaries. Why will he come into my house to embarrass me?
Speaking in pigin English, he said: “when they pursue you enter house, where you go run go? You must defend yourself. So, that was what happened”, he narrated.
He explained that he was unaware of what they came to do in his house on the grateful day.
Clarifying issues on the actual date of the election, Chikezie who is one of the leaders in the Ward and a community leader, said: “we fixed the primary election to hold on the 19th, that was on a Sunday and it held.
“I discussed with all the aspirants, I proposed Monday but they said no that the thing was closing on that Sunday that we should do it on Sunday. So, on Sunday, we did it at the town hall”.
Meanwhile, video clips made available to The Story, shows a free, fair and credible election monitored and we’ll conducted.
Speaking on the conduct of the primaries, he said: “it was one of the freest elections we have ever had in that Ward”, he said.
It would be recall that The Story reported that there was a mild drama between the former House of Assembly member representing Aniocha south State Constituency, in Delta State, Austine Chikezie and a Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), stakeholder, simply identified as Mr. Abaja.
