By CHARLES IWUOHA

A former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, Barrister Ifeanyi Nworie, has lamented the carefree disposition of operatives of the State Police Command in the plight of members of the party and other opposition supporters in the state.

He stated this during a meeting with journalists on Wednesday, in Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State.

Nworie, a former PDP chairman in the state, defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) soon after the 2023 general elections on personal grounds.

He was attacked alongside his supporters and journalists in Ikwuator village, Idemba community in the Ezza South Local Government Area of the state by over 50 thugs suspected to be working for the APC, who disrupted a rally organised by the PDP to announce his detection from the APC back to PDP in the state.

The event, originally billed to take place at the village square in the Idemba community was rescheduled in his compound when the thugs stormed the venue and disrupted it, destroying plastic chairs, canopies, and other property at the venue and attacking any person suspected to be attending the rally.

The thugs, who also inflicted injuries on 10 members of the PDP, also attacked journalists who came to cover the event.

The PDP stalwart further alleged that men of the Ebonyi Police Command watched while the thugs stormed the venue and attacked members of the party, his loyalists while also destroying valuable property.

He said the situation was pathetic even after he wrote to the Command, notified it of the event and requested for adequate security.

“The police watched as the thugs stormed the venue and attacked me, beat my supporters and disrupted the rally,” he said.

“Instead of the police that I wrote to and notified to provide security for me and other PDP members to protect us, they could provide the needed security. They stood and idled around while we were attacked”, he lamented.

A letter dated July 31, 2026, which was made available to journalists, on Wednesday, reads in part: “I am the former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State within the 2021—2023 General Elections and had previously abandoned the party after the general election and now decided to go back due to my relationship with the present gubernatorial flag bearer.

“The party from the National Excos as well as the State Excos and leaders down to the ward level will officially receive me at my Onuoriegu Ikwuator Idemba Ward in Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State on Saturday, August 1st, 2026 by 10:30a.m.

“Due to this, I have received a chain of threats to my personal life, my loyalists going with me as well as our National and State officers including very important persons coming from far and near.

“It is against this background that I passionately applied for adequate security coverage/personnel from your good office to avoid the breakdown of law and order from those threatening me and this program. I am a law-abiding citizen, sir.”

The Ebonyi State Police Command, on Wednesday, denied ever receiving any letter or petition from the PDP in the state.

In a statement signed by the Command’s spokesperson, SP Joshua Ukandu, it said no petition was submitted to it for either a notification of an event or protection.

“The command wishes to state unequivocally that no petition relating to any of the alleged attacks has been received by the Ebonyi police command,” he said.

Meanwhile, the APC in the state has denied the attack.

The Chairman of the APC, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, alleged that those who maybe uncomfortable with the political behaviour of Ifeanyi Nworie may be responsible for the attack and not the APC

He said: “So far, as It has to do with APC in Ebonyi State, we watch the body language of our governor, he doesn’t want to offend anyone.

“As such, we must toe his path. There is no time APC will have a hand in violence because you know that if you get into such act, the governor will abandon you.”