Report in circulation that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Ebonyi State, Prof. Benard Odoh, was behind the killing of Ezeogo Ewa has drawn his reaction.
Ewa was killed by gunmen in his Umuezeokoha community where Prof Odoh hails from at about 8:30pm on Monday.
The monarch’s killing generally believed to be politically-motivated was imputed to the ex-Secretary to the State Government by the ruling All Progressives Congress and the state government.
The APGA candidate refuted the murder claim levelled at him in an interview with journalists in Abakaliki, on Tuesday.
He said, his accusers’ desire to blacken his reputation and have been at it since he left the Gov. Dave Umahi’s administration, adding that he bore no grudge with the slain monarch to recourse to any act he was not fond of, saying he has abhorrence for killing in any form.
According to him,“It is hard that at a time I’m mourning the death of my traditional ruler, His Royal Highness Eze Igboke Ewa, the APC government is doing everything possible to destroy my reputation. Anybody who knows me knows my records. I have read what was written by one Ogbuatu Chidi Simbad. I have also read the one written by the APC State Working Committee. I don’t have any issue with HRH Eze Igboke Ewa,” he remarked.
Continued, “What’s going on in Ebonyi today is a political witch-hunt. I have had a running battle with this government since I left as Secretary to the State Government and all of you are fully aware of it. I have been attacked seven times since we started our campaign, none was investigated including the one I lost two officers. I was attacked at Okposi two weeks ago where we have video clips of APC people with branded APC vehicles who came to attack us. No investigation was made.”
