APC raises the alarm over alleged killing of supporters in Rivers

PDP alleges plot to rig rerun polls

Members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday rose from an emergency meeting decrying the spate of killings of its party supporters in the oil-rich Rivers State.

APC’s acting national chairman, Segun Oni, who addressed reporters at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja at the end of the parley which lasted for several hours maintained that the killings were politically motivated aimed at undermining the APC ahead of March 19, 2016 Rivers State rerun elections into the National Assembly and State House of Assembly.

This is coming as the Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has accused the APC of a plot to use the military to subvert and rig next weeks’ national and state legislative rerun elections in the state.

The PDP caution APC leaders in the state to desist from pursing what it described as already known ill-conceived tactics of telling lies making frivolous claims and excessive propaganda, and adopt civilized means of mobilizing the electorate, if it must be seen as a responsible party.

PDP chairman, Felix Obuah, alleged that APC leaders plans to instigate the militarization of the state, hijack ballot papers and rig the forth coming re-run national and State Assemblies elections in the state.

He observed that there has been series of coordinated, incisive, provocative, false and completely misleading statements in circulation, emanating from the APC and its governorship candidate, Mr. Dakuku Peterside, painting Rivers State as “a killing field, hunting and killing APC members.’’

He said the aim of the APC is to paint a picture of an unsafe Rivers State that would warrant declaration of a State of Emergency where soldiers will be drafted in to supervise and ensure the success of their well planned, scripted and coordinated hijack of ballot papers, result sheets and rigging of the re-run elections.

Flanked by members of the NWC, Oni described the dastard killing of the party supporters as a real emergency that should not be treated with kid gloves adding, “the situation is distressing, tragic and a huge source of worry to the party.”

Accusing governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State of tacitly instigating the dastard act, he noted that the APC would no longer fold its arms and watch its party members and supporters murdered daily in cold blood.

Enjoining the Police and other security agencies to as a matter of urgency, rise up to stem the ugly tide, he drew the attention of security agencies and other relevant bodies to the latest string of gruesome killings targeted at APC members in Rivers State thus: “Rivers State has been transformed into a killing field, with APC members being murdered on a daily basis. APC members in Rivers state are fast becoming endangered species.

“On Saturday night March 5, 2016, masked gunmen first shot dead Franklin Obi, the APC ward chairman in Omoku, headquarters of Ogab/Egbema/Ndoni council and then beheaded him. The gunmen went ahead and killed his wife and 18-year-old son, Bestman.’’

“The APC NWC also received reports that four APC members were recently killed in Obibi, Etche Local Government Areas in Rivers State. Gabriel Cookey was clubbed to death in Opobo, Opobo/Nkoro councils. In the last two weeks, over 30 APC members have been killed in different parts of the state.

“On Monday, March 7, 2016 Ofinjite Amachree, an APC stalwart in Buguma, Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State was beaten up and thereafter, set ablaze in continuation of the latest string of politically-motivated killings targeted at APC members in Rivers State.’’

Obuah said the military invasion some communities in Ogoni is pointer to the planned use of the military during the re-run elections.

“The PDP condemns the APC for claiming all dead persons in Rivers State as its members killed by the PDP, regretting that in obvious cases of clash by two cult groups, casualties of motor accidents and natural deaths, the APC continues to lay claim to them as its members. The Party calls on the security agencies to properly investigate all claims by the APC on the killing of its members to ascertain the true source of their death” he said.

The PDP also urged the military authorities to beware of desperate politicians, and to resist being used as tools to manipulate the re-run election.