Senator Athan Achonu, the Labour Party (LP) candidate for governor in the November 11 election in Imo State, has demanded that Governor Hope Uzodinma resign honorably for failing to curb insecurity in the state.
In a statement that was both signed by Achonu and Mr. Chime, the general director of his campaign organization, Achonu made the comments.
provided to the Daily Post on Tuesday in Owerri, the state capital of Imo.
In response to a recent meeting between the governor and traditional rulers, presidents-general, and youth leaders from communities in Imo, Achonu criticized the governor for telling his audience to assume responsibility for the safety of their respective communities.
He stated that, as the state’s primary security officer, it was “unacceptable” for the governor to abdicate his responsibilities to community leaders, and he urged the governor to resign because he lacked solutions.
He also referred to the sum of N1 million that each traditional authority in the state received from the governor as a “Greek gift” for fighting insecurity.
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“The primary responsibility of government is to safeguard lives and property, and our constitution designates the governor as the state’s chief security officer.
“If the chief security officer tells the people he is tasked with protecting to defend themselves, he lacks the ability to continue as their Governor and should therefore resign.
According to him, the timing of the disbursement less than four months prior to the election for governor suggests that its true purpose is to gain the support of traditional rulers, particularly given the state’s history of insecurity.
“It is indeed troubling that on the eve of a governorship election in which he is a candidate, Gov. Uzodimma has only recently realized that the traditional institution exists while, between October 19, 2021, and July 17, 2023, approximately five traditional rulers have reportedly been murdered in cold blood,” he said.
He reassured the people of Imo that, if elected governor, he would address security and other challenges head-on and implored them to give him the necessary support.
