By Anayo Okoli
Umuahia—CHIEF Ikechi Emenike, the only aspirant who bought PDP form to challenge Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State in 2011 elections, yesterday, officially declared his interest, even as he lamented what he called disturbing trend of political intolerance by the state government.

Emenike said he was subjected to “undue pressure” and intimidation, and regretted that the Ibeku High School venue he paid and booked for the rally was sealed by policemen and people allegedly sent by the state government to stop the rally.

Addressing an unprecedented crowd of PDP members and supporters, Emenike, who came to the last minute make shift venue with his wife and four children, said Nigerians were witnessing the level of political intolerance allegedly being exhibited by Abia State government.

He recounted how bus loads of his supporters coming to the Umuahia rally from Osisioma, Ugwunagbo, Bende, Umunneochi, and other parts of the state were turned back, simply because they had his posters pasted on the buses, and wondered the manner of democracy the state and the people of Abia State were practising.

Meanwhile, as early as 7.30 am, two police pick up vans were stationed in front of the gate of Ibeku High School, the original venue of the rally.

The gates were firmly locked, while anti-riot policemen were stationed to guard the place.
A number of anti-riot policemen was also stationed on the adjoining streets close to the school.

Not deterred by this, Emenike quickly relocated the rally to a space opposite the Central police station, a few meters from the state headquarters of Jonathan/Sambo Campaign headquarters, where he addressed the rally.

Beamed live by NTA, the crowd held Umuahia to a standstill as the sea of heads which stretched over three kilometers, struggled to get closer to the rostrum.

Vehicular traffic around the area was chaotic as hundreds of buses coming to the ceremony  struggled for parking space.

The emotional high point of the rally was when an 81-year-old woman, Mrs. Ngozi K.O.K. Onyioha, wife of late veteran nationalists, appeared and addressed the crowd.

Onyioha said she did not know Emenike but returned from the United States of America to see that no development was going on in the state and decided to support the crusade for change  championed by Emenike.

Lashing the government on its performance, Mrs. Onyioha said she wouldn’t bother if anything untoward happened to her thereafter.

She said all she wanted to see in Abia State was real development, especially in Umuahia, so that when dies and meets her husband, she would be able to tell him that development had come to his town and that his struggles were not in vain.

Emenike told the crowd that his mission was to develop Abia State and provide jobs for the youths.