The Rivers State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the recent killing of its members, including a traditional ruler at Obrikom and Obor communities in Ogba/Egbema/ Ndoni local government areas of the state.
The APC, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday and signed by its state chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, alleged that the dastardly act, which resulted in the gruesome murder of nine of its members on the two communities, was carried out by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ikanya said, “We received with utmost shock the killing of a monarch and nine other members of APC by hoodlums hired by the PDP leadership in Rivers State on 3rd April.
“Reports reaching us have it that some blood-thirsty gunmen hired by PDP in Rivers State to go on rampage in Obrikom in Onelga Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area killed Chief Adube, a traditional ruler and APC chieftain in the area, along with his two sons and seven others.
“We learnt that these PDP miscreants have moved to Oboh, a neighboring community and destroyed the house of Vincent Ogbuagu, an APC House of Assembly aspirant and also to continue their killing spree before they will hit other areas of the state”.
Ikanya lamented that over 50 APC members have been killed in politically motivated violence in the state in the past three months, saying, “Several of our members have been arrested and molested, property of our members are vandalised on daily basis.
“Our local government secretariats at Okrika and Andoni were bombed and our rally at Okrika was on two occasions disrupted by gunmen from PDP, while one of the aborted Okrika rallies saw the death of a police man.
“Besides, during the March 28th presidential and National Assembly polls, the entire world saw the rape of our democracy by PDP working in tandem with INEC, Army and Police, denying the people of Rivers State the opportunity to choose their leaders while allotting votes to other parties as they deem fit”.
Responding to the allegation, the PDP denied carrying out the killing of APC members in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of the state as alleged by Mr. Ikanya.
Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee on the PDP Campaign Organization (PDPCO) in the state, Hon. Emma Okah, who denied the allegation in a telephone interview with LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt, said those behind the allegation were only being tormented by the spirit of the fore-fathers of the Niger Delta region for betraying President Goodluck Joathan.
Okah said, “There cannot be any truth in that; there is no basis for it. It is the handiwork of people who are tormented by the spirit of our fore-fathers from the Niger Delta, who are outraged by the betrayal that the APC and their leaders especially, Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Dakuku Peterside visited on an Ijaw son, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
“By their action, they not only supported the defeat of the second tenure ambition of Mr. President, they also used the resources of Rivers State to fund it. Why their collaborators were busy voting for their brothers up North, Amaechi and his collaborators down South were busy killing their brother.
“So, the spirit of brotherhood has left them and the implication is that they are a tormented people today. That is why they vomit and say all manner of things. Let them continue to lie and deceive themselves. There is no truth in it”.
