A female Senatorial aspirant in Ebonyi State, Mrs Ann Agom-Eze has cried out over alleged intimidation from powerful forces in a bid to make her drop her ambition.
Agom-Eze is seeking the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for Ebonyi South Senatorial District.
Although the said powerful forces were not mentioned, DAILY POST reports that Governor Dave Umahi is from the same Senatorial District.
Mr. David Nsi, Publicity Secretary, Princess Nwanyibuife Campaign Organisation (PNCO), told journalists on Saturday that there were desperate moves to intimidate the only female aspirant out of the race.
According to him, the organization uncovered desperate plots to use subterranean tactics, including intimidation, harassment and other undemocratic manoeuvering to edge their principal out of the senatorial race.
He called on the national leadership of the APC to ensure full transparency in the screening exercise of National Assembly aspirants from Ebonyi, especially those from Ebonyi South Senatorial zone.
The organisation further called on women organisations, rights activists and the wife of the President, Dr. Aisha Buhari to intervene and ensure that the screening committee was not compromised or biased against Agom-Eze.
He added that “some influential members of the APC in our State and in particular Ebonyi South, have infiltrated the APC Screening Committee, with the intention to have her screened out and disqualified from contesting in the primaries.
“It has also been brought to our notice that they have hatched plans to remove her duly Nominated and Expressions of Interest forms and other credentials in order to disenfranchise her.
“It has also been brought to our notice that her security can no longer be guaranteed as she has been inundated with calls from different quarters insisting that she withdraws without delay.”
He added that “this action of theirs is emanating from the fact that she is a woman aspirant; this further disenfranchises her and other women from participating in politics and negating inclusion of women in politics.
“Let it be equally stated that the aspirant in 2018 ran for the primaries for the 2019 senatorial election of the same senatorial zone without being disqualified, harassed or intimidated by the high and mighty in APC.
“We are, therefore, calling on the party, all women organisations and activists to rise up against this antics.”
The aspirant urged Nigeria’s First Lady Aisha Buhari, “to ensure that she is given the opportunity to excercise her democratic right as a free citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Agom-Eze, a former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands, Survey and Housing, is the only female aspirant that picked senatorial nomination and expression of interest forms in the zone.