Ahead of November 6 governorship election in Anambra State, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Andy Uba escaped death during a rally on Saturday.
Mr Uba, escaped a shooting by a whisker after an accidental discharge by a policeman missed him by a hair’s breadth.
It was gathered that the incident happened during a rally at the Ekwulobia Township Stadium in Aguata Local Government Area when a policeman on duty accidentally fired a gunshot.
The gunshot which was just about a foot off the position of Uba shocked the crowd who turned out to receive the governorship candidate.
A stunned Uba was heard saying in confusion: “My friend what is it? What is it?”
According to a Television cameraman close to the scene, the policeman who accidentally fired the shot was drunk as the smell of alcohol was oozing out of his mouth.
However, it was gathered that a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police who was at the occasion had taken up the matter, with a view to ensuring disciplinary action against the erring policeman.
Uba, who later addressed the crowd, said he was in the governorship race to liberate the state from the shackles of the underdevelopment it had been subjected to over the years by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
He said Anambra became liberated the day President Muhammadu Buhari handed the party flag to him in Aso Rock.
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“My first assignment is the Enugu-Onitsha Road; it is impassable. Work will begin on the road immediately. That is the essence of belonging at the centre,” he said.
He urged his supporters to mobilise for the party’s victory at the poll, saying the power to win an election resides with the electorate.
Meanwhile, the six members of the Anambra State House of Assembly who dumped the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for APC have denied that they were bribed to defect.
APGA had alleged that the lawmakers and others were bribed to the tune of N300m to join the APC.
But speaking at the reception rally for Uba, the legislators said they left APGA because the party was in a political coma.
Addressing the crowd that trooped out to receive them, the lawmakers, who took turns to speak, said their former party, APGA was dying, and there was a need to leave for a better place.
They also said they joined the APC to work with Uba, to “hook Anambra State to the national grid” so that the state would be weaned from the regional and domestic politics it had been subjected to for over 15 years of APGA reign in the state.
The member representing Dunukofia state constituency, Ezeudu Lawrence, said, “We are in APC because of Andy Uba. He is a man of impeccable character and a go-getter. We decided to follow the man who knows the way, who will connect us to power at the centre, so as to benefit from what they intend to give to Anambra.”
Also speaking, the member representing Aguata 1 state constituency, Carter Dike, said, “The cock (APGA symbol) is dead. The leaders of the party have killed the cock and the party is in a coma.”
The six members had last week joined APC in Abuja. Apart from Lawrence and Dike, others are Nonso Okafor, representing Nnewi North; Timothy Ifedioramma, representing Njikoka 1; Cater D. N. Umeoduagu, representing Aguata 1; Arthur Chiekwu, representing Idemili North and Edward Ibuzo, representing Onisha North.
