2023 Polls: Police Arrest 2 APC Aspirants For Shunning Consensus Pact

BY ONYEKACHUKWU IBEZIM – For allegedly refusing to jettison their political ambition and embrace a proposed consensus arrangement, two sons of Late Senator Office Nwali, one of the founding fathers and prominent politicians in Ebonyi State, are currently cooling their feet in the State Police custody.

Insiders in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-East state said the duo ran into troubled waters over their alleged refusal to step down for another aspirant in the just concluded party primaries in the State.

Sources hinted that both, Barrister Rollins Offia Nwali and his brother, Engineer Alfred Offia Nwali were arrested on Thursday, May 26, 2022, at Onueke in Ezza South Local Government Area of the State.

Rollins Nwali, an aspirant in the House of Assembly primary polls, was contesting for Ezza South State Constituency seat before his arrest with a source alleging that; “He was called severally from Government House to step down but he told them that as the son of one of the State’s founding fathers, the opponent should be the one to step down for him.”

“He had received so many threats over the election but he refused to step down preferring to go to the field. They arrested him because they saw that he was going to win as he had a large number following him in the constituency”, the source further said

Giving further insight into the claims of being harassed and intimidated by State government officials, our source further alleged that Rollins’ supporters, including some delegates loyal to his cause, were brutally chased out of the election venue.

And confirming the travails of his siblings, their elder brother, Oguzor Offia Nwali also claimed the arrest was instigated by the “powers that be” in the state who wanted him out of the way to pave the way for their preferred candidate to win.

According to him; “My two brothers were arrested and we heard they have been taken to the Police Headquarters in Abakaliki. For now, the family is making contacts to ensure their release from Police custody.”

At the time of filing this report, efforts were still being made to reach the Ebonyi State Police Command Spokesperson, Chris Anyanwu as his lines were immediately not reachable.