Following the upcoming 2023 General elections across the country, there has been an increase in attacks on political aspirants from Ebonyi to Lagos, to Port Harcourt, Kaduna to Calabar

Some political aspirants have narrowly escaped while some have lost their lives in the process. Recall that in November 2022, a Labour Party women leader, Mrs Victoria Chimtex was killed in her residence at Kaura Local Government Area of the state.

Recently governorship candidate of the People Redemption Party, PRP, Pst Usani Uguri Usani escaped death by a whisker along the Calabar-Ikom Highway, Betem axis in the Biase Local government area of the state.

Although Usani Uguri Usani who was on his way to his home town in Nko, Yakurr LGA alongside the deputy governorship candidate escaped unhurt, two members of their entourage were killed in the attack.

In a related development, the Labour Party’s House of  Representatives candidate for Lere Federal Constituency in Kaduna State,  Suleiman Tambaya escaped assassination on Friday night. 

Ipledge2nigeria.com learned that gunmen invaded Tambaya’s residence at Gure village in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna state, killing two persons. 

Speaking on the incident, Tambaya said it would’ve been a different story if not for divine intervention and the prompt response from the members of the community and local vigilante in the area.

According to him, “I was planning to go home yesterday, Friday, but I  spoke to our governorship candidate and he asked me to come and see him. That was when I diverted and came to Kaduna.”

“At about 10:00 pm on Friday, some seven armed men came to my house in the village, Gure, asking about my whereabouts and that they said I am supposed to be home.”

“Some young men in my house were able to escape and raised an alarm; members of the community came and the vigilante too came out and confronted them. But unfortunately, along the process, the gunmen killed two of our boys.”

Similarly in Ebonyi State, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, governorship candidate Prof Benard Odoh, on Thursday night, escaped death

Ipledge2nigeria.com gathered that  Odoh’s convoy was attacked by gunmen suspected to be assassins, in the Ishielu Local Government Area of the state.

Benard Odoh was returning from Agba community in the Ishielu council, where he had gone for a consultation, when his convoy was ambushed at the Rest House area of the Ishielu council, along the Abakaliki/Enugu Expressway.

His assailants, as gathered, parked a plate-numberless Sienna bus along the road, and opened fire on the convoy while precisely aiming at the governorship candidate’s vehicle leaving his Toyota Jeep, completely shattered.

Odoh driver was reportedly killed during the attack while his police orderly and three others sustained varying degrees of bullet wounds.

Still, in Ebonyi State, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, candidate for the Afikpo North/West State Constituency, for Ebonyi State House of Assembly, in the 2023 general election, Barr Omaka Onya, was on Friday evening, attacked and beaten by members of the Ebebuagu Security Outfit in the state. 

Onya was at Akpoha, in the Afikpo North Local Government Area of the state to consult with a chieftain of his party and others, when he was attacked. 

Also in Abakaliki the state capital of Ebonyi, the Governorship Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Ebonyi State, Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, Sunday escaped death by the whiskers as unknown gunmen suspected to be members of the Ebubeagu Security Outfit stormed the venue of the meeting he was scheduled to attend alongside other PDP members at Uburu, in Ohaozara Local Government Area of the State.

It was gathered that 12 PDP members sustained varying degrees of injuries during the face-off with the hoodlums as six vehicles were vandalized with gunshots.

In a bid to nib in the bud political attacks, the Lagos state Lagos Police declared Tajudeen Olanrewaju Bakre wanted on Thursday.

According to Hundeyin, the suspect Tajudeen was declared wanted following the emergence of a video earlier this week showing a man wielding a pump action rifle and threatening public peace on social media.”

Based on the video, “CSP Egbeyemi-led Rapid Response Squad (RRS), working on actionable intelligence, carried out a sting operation on the residence of the man in the Surulere area of the state.” 

Explaining further, Hundeyin said  three pump action rifles, one Beretta pistol magazine, one expended 9mm ammunition, one expended and three live cartridges and a picture frame of the suspect were found in the suspect’s residence.”

While appreciating Lagosians for their vigilance and prompt information to security agencies, the Lagos State Police Command once again warns all troublemakers to steer clear of the state as anyone found wanting would be dealt with by the law”, he added. 

Like Lagos State, the Commissioner of Police, CP Sule Balarabe Cross River state has warned those instigating the crises in the state to get ready, as security agencies won’t allow anyone to breach the peace of the Local government area for any reason.

CP Balabare gave the warning on Monday at Ikot Offiong in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River state, nothing less than eight stalwarts of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were attacked and property worth millions of naira vandalised 

 Ipledge2nigeria gathered that thugs numbering about 100 caused havoc although no lives were lost, houses, cars household electronics, fish ponds and other valuables belonging to the PDP Chieftains were destroyed.

Some of the affected Chieftains suffered unquantifiable damage from the hands of political thugs alleged to be loyal to the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Joseph Bassey who incidentally is the APC  candidate for  Calabar South /Akpabuyo and Bakassi Federal Constituency and others.

CP Balabare urged Politicians in the state to adhere to the rules of engagement before, during and after the electioneering period adding that there was a need for tolerance amongst all political gladiators in the state.

Pix of some of the recent attacks