The Rivers State Chapter of
the All Progressives Congress (APC) has cried out to the Police and the
Department of State Security (DSS), appealing for urgent protection in the face
of increasing attacks on its members and offices by hoodlums believed to be working
for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State.
“As a law-abiding party, we
are determined to continue to resist the temptation to take the laws into our
hands, hence we are passionately appealing to the State Police Command and DSS
Directorate to urgently come to our rescue, as the rate of attacks is becoming
frightening,” Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said in a
statement issued on Monday in Port Harcourt.
Dr Ikanya lamented that APC
in the State has come under attack by PDP-sponsored political thugs on four
different occasions in less than a week. “The first of these dastardly attacks
was witnessed last Wednesday when gunmen allegedly hired by PDP leaders opened
fire on APC supporters from Asari Toru and Khana local governments on their way
to Port Harcourt for the APC Presidential Campaign Flag-off, leaving eight of
them in critical condition and battling for their dear lives at the intensive
care unit of the Kesley Harrison Hospital, Port Harcourt. Last weekend,
precisely on Saturday, the Okirika LGA Secretariat of APC was bombed by the PDP
hoodlums, while last night all the key APC actors in Obio-Akpor, the Local
Government with the highest number of voters in Nigeria, were viciously
attacked, with some of them being maimed,” Dr. Ikanya lamented. He noted that
while the desperation of Rivers PDP is understandable since the party has been
overwhelmingly rejected by the people of the State, PDP and its members should
realise that election is not war but a democratic way of choosing the people’s
leaders.
The Party
Chairman, commended APC members for restraining themselves from retaliating the
attacks and appealed to them to continue to give peace a chance.
He also commended Chief
Tony Okocha, former Chief of Staff to Governor Chibuike Amaechi, who is the
political leader of APC in Obio-Akpor and Federal House of Representatives
flag-bearer of the party in the area, for leading other APC grassroots leaders
such as Dr. Lawrence Chukwu, the CTC Chairman; Chief Ike Chinwo; Solomon
Ikewuru; Hon. Corlins Ordu; Hon. Freddy Ichegbo; Chief William Ubeka and
thousands of APC faithful to the Police Commissioner and State Director of DSS
today to formally protest the continued brutalisation of APC faithful by
PDP hoodlums.
“We are happy for the assurances given to Chief Okocha and the other protesters by the State Police Commissioner and Deputy Director of Operations of DSS. We challenge them to live up to their promise by investigating these increasing attacks against APC members and structures and bring the perpetrators to book without further delay while also extending the requested protection to us,” Dr. Ikanya said.
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Politics