The Government of Anambra State, has sealed the office of a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) led by Edozie Njoku in Awka, Anambra State.
The office, located in the Udoka Housing Estate, also houses the campaign office of Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party.
Reports indicate that officials from the state government, accompanied by soldiers and police officers, carried out the sealing of the offices on Tuesday.
This development has sparked reactions from various quarters, with the South-East National Vice-Chairman of APGA, Tony Uche Ezekwelu, suggesting that the state government may be feeling threatened by the rising popularity of the faction since Njoku assumed leadership.
The situation adds to the ongoing political tensions in Anambra State, where Governor Charles Soludo backs another faction of APGA led by Sly Ezeokenwa.
The conflict between the factions has intensified, particularly with the involvement of state machinery in the dispute.
Ezekwelu has called on the state government to refrain from using its powers to suppress opposition, noting that the sealing of the offices only serves to heighten political tensions in the region.
“We came to the office this morning to monitor the sale of expression of interest forms for the councillorship and chairmanship for the September 28 local government election.
“As I was coming, I saw some of our party officials struggling with officials of the state government who were accompanied by the police and the army, and they said they came to seal our party office following an order from above,” Mr Ezekwelu narrated.
Continuing, he said, “Their reason was that the area was initially mapped out as a residential area and not for commercial activities.
“Our concern was that there was no previous notice. This is our new party office since we came into office two months ago.
“There are many commercial offices in this area, including Nonye Soludo’s Healthy Living. Over the years, political parties have always used this area as their campaign office, but nobody has sealed it.”
The national vice chairperson said that in addition to Mr Obi’s campaign office, past governorship and presidential candidates had offices within the building.
“What happened here is unfortunate, and we know it is all politics. If there was any default, we ought to have been written instead of swooping into our office as if terrorists were occupying the place.
“They should know that this is the official state office of APGA and the only one for that matter as recognised by the law. Maybe they’re worried that APGA members have been trooping into the place, and that rattled them,” he said.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Governor Soludo-backed APGA, Opara Ejimofor, who spoke with Premium Times, said he was unaware of the incident.
“I don’t have that information,” said Mr Ejimofor, the new media aide to the governor.
Similarly, the governor’s spokesperson, Christian Aburime, told this newspaper that the office’s sealing must have been in response to a violation of state law.
Aburime said Governor Soludo has no hand in sealing the building.
“Any property that was sealed off means that the owners must have infringed on the law, and there is an agency that implements such laws.
“It was not sealed up by the Anambra State Government. It was not sealed up by Governor Soludo,” he said.
 led by Edozie Njoku in Awka, Anambra State.){kind=link}