Ahead of the visit of the incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan to Imo state, the police have tear gassed a group of women who had blocked the entrance to the state secretariat of the council of traditional rulers.
The women are reported to be supporters of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
The police called on the protesters to leave the place, but when the women refused the police officers used tear gas canisters to disperse them.
Speaking to reporters, Iheukwumere Alaribe, the director of Rochas Okorocha’s campaign organisation, not only criticised the use of tear gas on the women, but also blamed the police for abusing the women.
Alaribe also blamed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for planning to make Imo state ungovernable, even as he stressed that “the APC will not accept any form of intimidation from the PDP”.
He urged the security agencies to “remain loyal to Nigeria and Nigerians and not to any particular political party”.
Continuing, he asked Eze Ilomuanya, the legally reinstated chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, to allow the status quo to prevail, adding that the case was still being addressed at the Supreme Court.
Also reacting to the incident, Ilomuanya’s chief press secretary, Kennedy Eweama, blamed the state government for breaking court rulings.
“The Supreme Court had long taken a decision on the matter but the state government is still parading Eze Sam Ohiri as its preferred chairman. No society can thrive without the rule of law,” he said.
Ahead of the forthcoming polls many cases of political violence have been recorded by police.
Recently violence broke out in Saminaka town, Lere local government area in Kaduna, after the destruction of politicians’ campaign billboards.
Supporters of the PDP reportedly vandalized cars with guns and stole in Lagos yesterday, March 25.
