The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; the Rivers governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor Tonye Cole; and an APC chieftain, Chukwudi Dimkpa; over Wednesday’s violence and killing of two PDP members in Ipo, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers state.
Rivers PDP, through its new Publicity Secretary, Darlington Orji, yesterday alleged that Amaechi, a former Governor of Rivers state; Cole, a billionaire businessman/co-founder of Sahara Group; and Dimkpa, who recently resigned in the Nyesom Wike’s administration as the Managing Director of Rivers State Signage and Advertising Agency (RISAA); sponsored a deadly cultist, Kenjika Jonathan, aka School Boy, to unleash mayhem on innocent and peace-loving PDP members at Ipo.
PDP in Rivers also condemned the unprovoked violence during the voters’ sensitisation in Ipo, while alleging that the APC leaders were backed by two other chieftains of the party in the state: Chibuike Ikenga and Ezemonye Ezekiel Amadi, who is the APC’s candidate for Emohua/Ikwerre constituency in the House of Representatives for the 2019 elections.
Rivers APC, through its Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, however, stated that members of the main opposition party knew nothing about the violence and killings, declaring that from credible information, the attackers were PDP’s thugs, militants and cultists who leaders of the party (PDP) used to kill and maim APC members during the 2015 elections and subsequent reruns in the state, but were abandoned.
APC in Rivers said: “If they (PDP leaders in Rivers) truly had credible information about complicity of anyone, why didn’t they approach security agencies for arrests and investigation? The PDP members simply made up the story to divert attention from the real incident.
“Our worry is that PDP members in Rivers State know that they brought the violence and killings on themselves. They only want to use the incident to lay a foundation for a fresh narrative that will kick-start fresh round of violence, as the 2019 elections approach. They thrive on violence.
“Unfortunately, PDP leaders in Rivers State are fixated in their archaic and time-forgotten style of raising wild accusations and name-calling, instead of tackling serious issues with all the seriousness they deserve. Of course, they find it difficult to followup on unsubstantiated claims that do not go beyond the washy attention they often crave.
“Assuming without conceding that they know anyone or persons working in cahoot with a criminal to attack them, should their first port of call be the media? Of course, the security agencies are there, but they will not go to them, because they know that diligent investigations will lead back to PDP. Someone should let PDP members know that Rivers people and Nigerians have since moved into modern times; the train has since left the station.
“Our concern is that, as it is typical with PDP, this is a clear foundation that they are laying to commence the next orgy of killings, maiming and violence that characterise their politics, as 2019 elections approach.”
Rivers APC also called on security agencies to arrest PDP members and officials of the state government who mentioned names of persons, to assist them in the thorough investigation of the violence.
The main opposition party in Rivers noted that it believed the diligent investigation would expose what the PDP members in Rivers were doing to themselves, asking them to stop calling APC members names in vain, just to cover up their evil deeds.
Rivers PDP, however, said: “Scores (of PDP members) were also injured in the unwarranted attacks, while many vehicles were damaged in the rain of bullets by the assassins, hired by the Rivers APC agents of violence.
“The premeditated attack on the PDP’s voter sensitisation at Ipo was a plot by the Transportation Minister and other APC leaders to assassinate the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Council, Hon. Samuel Nwanosike (a former Rivers Publicity Secretary of PDP). Credible intelligence on the plot by the APC members was passed to the security agencies (unnamed) by the authorities of Ikwerre Local Government Council.
“While condoling with the family members of Uche Nnana and the woman murdered by the plot of Amaechi, Cole, Dimkpa and others, members of PDP in Rivers State will not be cowed by the mindless use of violence by the APC and its agents.
“APC remains rejected across Rivers State, because it is a party that promotes deaths, underdevelopment and bitterness. The re-election of Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, is a fait accompli. A thousand Amaechis, Coles and Dimkpas sponsoring criminal gangs will not change it.”
PDP in Rivers also called on the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to as a matter of urgency, arrest the “indicted” APC chieftains for prosecution, in the interest of peace and justice, alleging that their direct links with the “failed” APC-led Federal Government was not a licence to kill and unleash violence on unarmed PDP members.
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