Barely 24 hours after the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, raised the alarm that a plot to assassinate him was on, his convoy was yesterday attacked in Port Harcourt.
Thugs, who are suspected to be working for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), fired gunshots at his convoy.
Amaechi met at the Government House, Port Harcourt yesterday morning with the caretaker chairmen of the 23 local government areas and other stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Chief Press Secretary to the Rivers Governor, David Iyofor, said in a text message at 7:33 p.m. yesterday: “Gunshots fired at Governor Amaechi. This (yesterday) evening, gunshots were fired at the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, in Rumuolumeni (Port Harcourt), Obio/Akpor LGA (of Rivers State) by PDP thugs. Obio/Akpor LGA is the home of PDP Rivers governorship candidate, Nyesom Wike (an indigene of Rumueprikom).
“The thugs attacked the governor and his entourage with bottles, stones and various dangerous objects. Then, gunshots were fired at the governor.
“For now, two APC supporters are confirmed injured and bloodied. When the governor was leaving the community, a bonfire was set up on the road to prevent him from leaving. More gunshots were fired at his convoy. Governor Amaechi was on a door-to-door ward campaign in the state.”
Police spokesman Muhammad Kidaya Ahmad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) said he was still trying to get the details.
Amaechi, raising the alarm that his life was under threat, said he would not leave Nigeria, as advised and would vote for all the candidates of the APC.
Commissioner for Information and Communications Mrs. Ibim Semenitari last night in Port Harcourt said:
“The APC wishes to draw the attention of the police and other security agents to this unwholesome development on the eve of the election scheduled for March 28. It is more worrisome seeing that a few days ago, a team of security personnel visited Governor Amaechi’s hometown to carry out a reconnaissance. The visit coincided with authoritative information that Governor Amaechi had been marked for assassination by a combined team of the army and state security service personnel.”
The Rivers government, according to Semenitari, reminded the security agencies that they owed their allegiance, first of all, to Nigeria and to its people, and must remember that they owed every Nigerian a duty of protection, regardless of the person’s religious, political or social affiliation.
Soldiers yesterday laid siege to the country home of Edo State Governor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in Iyamho, Auchi, Etsako-West Local Government Area – an action seen by residents as an attempt to “intimidate him on the election day”.
Besides, there were unconfirmed reports that the military high command in Abuja had drafted a special unit to All Progressives Congress (APC) strongholds in Edo North and Edo South senatorial zones to work against the ruling party in the state.
According to a statement by Edo Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Louis Odion, last night, the aim is to manipulate the election’s outcome in favour of PDP.
Odion said: “Family members of the Comrade Governor were shocked to find his country home taken over by soldiers this afternoon. When asked, the invading force said they were acting on orders from above. We also have it on good authority that the Army high command in Abuja had sent some soldiers to Edo State on what they described as ‘special operations’. In order not to arouse suspicion, these soldiers were told to dress in suits and pose as SSS operatives and station themselves at polling units on Election Day, particularly in areas seen as APC strongholds. They were told to harass and possibly detain polling agents of APC in order to clear the ground for rigging by agents of PDP who would be wearing special hand bands. It is a rehash of the rigging manual implemented in Ekiti last year.
“Two days ago, our campaign jingle on Channels Television in which Oshiomhole endorsed General Buhari was stopped abruptly after few exposures on orders from above.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to use this medium to tell the Army high command that Comrade Oshiomhole cannot be intimidated even with whole might of the Nigerian Army from insisting on the application of the principle of ‘One Man, One Vote’ on the Election Day. We hope that as patriots, officers and men of the Nigerian Army will not allow themselves to be used by political desperadoes to truncate this democracy.”
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