ENUGU—THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, nationwide screening for State Houses of Assembly took a dramatic twist, Tuesday, when the Police arrested a governorship candidate in Enugu State .

Chief Obi Ene, PDP gubernatorial aspirant, who is loyal to the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, was arrested on Tuesday night at a popular hotel over allegations of trying to compromise the chairperson of the panel, Chief (Mrs) Grace Eyo Ita.

Chief Ita was alleged to have offered N1million to the panel chair but the police, acting on tip-off, stormed the hotel and arrested him and took away the money as evidence. Both have made statements to the police.

Enugu State Police Commissioner, Dan-Azumi Doma, yesterday, confirmed the arrest of Chief Ene, saying:

“Yes, my men arrested one Obi Ene, and he’s being investigated over allegations bothering on attempts to compromise the on-going PDP screening. That’s the much I can say for now but we’ll make detailed and categorical statements later.”

It will be recalled that Mrs. Eyo Ita, Tuesday, disappeared from the state party secretariat, venue of the screening, and refused to return for the commencement of the exercise.

Following her disappearance, other members of the screening panel decided to elect a chairman from among them, after expressing amazement at the inability of Eyo Ita to return.

Addressing the media, yesterday Secretary of the screening panel, Barr. Adamu Ishiaku, said: “We (panel members) arrived here as directed by the national secretariat. The leader of our group, Chief (Mrs) Grace Eyo Ita, came here and apologized for arriving late. Later, she asked for a one-hour break for all of us to eat and reconvene for the screening to start.

“We’re surprised that she is not yet back for us to start. However, we can’t wait without  end because we just have to conclude the exercise as scheduled. So, we’ve decided to elect one of us as the chairman of the panel so that we can begin.”

Other governorship aspirants with a link to Dr. Nwodo, including Chiefs Anayo Onwuegbu and Okey Ezea, yesterday, also addressed the press in Enugu and claimed that though Ene was arrested with the sum of one million naira, it was money on him, which he did not take to the woman’s (Eyo Ita’s) hotel room to bribe her.

Also, tongues have been wagging in Enugu over the opening of another ‘Jonathan/Sambo South-East Campaign Headquarters’ at a different location in Enugu by persons loyal to the national chairman, just five days after President Goodluck Jonathan personally opened his campaign office.