Unknown gunmen on Saturday night murdered the chairman of the Young Progressives Party, in Nanka Ward 1 in Orumba North local government area of Anambra State, Nze Joe Muoghali.
This comes a few hours after holding a meeting of YPP stakeholders in the area ahead of a rerun election for the Orumba North and South federal constituency.
The Court of Appeal had ordered that a rerun election should be conducted in 13 polling units in Nanka Ward 1 between Hon Princess Chinwe Nnabuife of YPP, who was declared winner of the February 25 national assembly election, and her opponent, Chief Okwudili Ezenwankwo, who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Nnabuife, deeply affected by the tragic incident, expressed that, in response to the Court of Appeal’s decision on the rerun, she instructed the late Muoghali to arrange a gathering of stakeholders and supporters in the Ward as a preparatory measure for the upcoming election.
He said, ”We held the meeting on Saturday, after which we attended the wedding of an executive member of YPP in the same Nanka Ward 1. After that, I left.
“Barely one hour after I got home, I received a distress call that the party chairman was shot by some men wearing masks. I was told that before they fired at him, the assailants called him saboteur three times.
”He was immediately rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately, he couldn’t make it. So, my question is, what is the fate of the people of Nanka Ward 1 as we prepare for the court-ordered rerun election?
”Now that they have killed my party chairman, who knows their next target? With this scenario, how safe am I to go for the rerun in Nanka? And how safe are my party members and supporters in the area?
“I urge security operatives to wade into this matter immediately to unravel the circumstances surrounding the murder and those behind this heinous killing of the YPP chairman in Nanka.
The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga said he was not aware of the incident.