The whereabout of Okoye Fidelis Nwabueze, a Labour Party youth leader in Kaduna State, has raised panic following attempts on his life and those of his team by suspected political thugs in the Kaduna South of the state.
On March 8, 2023, after the general elections, Nwabueze, alongside his team were reportedly attacked by political hoodlums suspected to be from another political party, as they were accused of engaging in illegal activities during the election.
After the incident, Nwabueze lived in fear for his life and went into hiding. He said he was being assailed by some group of people as a result of his political affiliation with the Labour Party due to his involvement in what could have been an upset during the presidential election.
Recall that in the run-off to the 2023 Presidential Election, a third force sprang up for the first time in Nigeria’s democracy since 1999 led by the former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi. The force, powered by young Nigerians mobilizing through social media (known as the Obidient Movement), was a result of the desire for someone different from the two major candidates, Bola Tinubu (who eventually emerged as the winner) and Atiku Abubakar (a perennial contestant).
Following the rising political force of the LP, supporters of major parties in the election resorted to physical attacks in some quarters, disrupting events and ensuring meetings do not hold. Beyond that, they decided to pick on individual members for assault.
By the time the election was concluded, Obi, the Labour Party candidate, won in 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory, including in Lagos, the stronghold of the eventual winner, Tinubu. It was the first time a third party (third force, they call it) performed so well in a presidential election in Nigeria since 1999. That performance shocked many, and therefore LP mobilisers such as Nwabueze were targeted for attacks.
Presently, Nwabueze’s whereabout is unknown as efforts to contact him has been unsuccessful, raising worry among his friends and family members.
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