Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, his running-mate, Hon. Honourable Asita, and several other chieftains of the party yesterday escaped death when explosions and shootings disrupted the party’s governorship campaign rally in Okrika, headquarters of Okrika local government area of the state.
Among those who also escaped death during the attack were the party’s chairman in the state, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya; chief of staff, Government House, Hon. Tony Okocha; member representing Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Chief Andrew Uchendu, and member representing Okrika Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Belema Okpokiri.
LEADERSHIP gathered that before the arrival of the APC campaign team to the venue of the rally, the hoodlums had detonated three explosives suspected to be dynamites at the venue, partially damaging a section of the main school building.
Apparently not deterred by the attack, Peterside and his team decided to walk about one kilometre to the venue, to the cheering of many residents of the troubled community, hometown of the nation’s First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.
LEADERSHIP observed that the director of APC Campaign Organization in Okrika local government area, Hon. Tamuno Williams, was about giving his solidarity speech at the rally when gunshots rangs out from all directions, forcing all those at the rally venue to scamper for safety.
Several journalists who were at the National School field, Okrika, venue of the campaign rally yesterday, were severely manhandled by the hoodlums, who also dispossessed them of their belongings, including phones, recorders and cameras.
About three weeks ago, the APC campaign rally in Okrika was postponed following attacks on the venue of the rally by hoodlums, who, it was alleged, vowed to stop the ruling party in the state from campaigning in any part of Okrika.
Following the development, the state police command refused to grant the party the permission to hold the rally in Okrika on three occasions, citing security reasons.
Governor Amaechi fingers first lady
Meanwhile, Rivers State governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has blamed Dame Patience Jonathan for the attack on APC members at the rally.
Amaechi, who made this accusation while speaking to journalists in Abuja after the enlarged APC leaders’ meeting at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre yesterday, also condemned the act of violence and expressed disappointment at the law enforcement agents’ failure to ensure a hitch free campaign for the APC, despite having earlier given approval and assurances to the party.
“Again, as usual, the wife of the president won’t allow the APC hold rally in that place (Okrika). The wife of the president and the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers again organized thugs to disrupt an APC rally. As usual, the police couldn’t protect us, over 200 policemen. I asked the commissioner of police and he said they had over 200 policemen there -yet, three explosions and then they opened fire on members of APC. The Channels TV reporter, I learnt, is injured, stabbed, and other members of the APC injured.
However, the Greater Together Campaign Organization, the campaign machinery of Peterside, is yet to react to the development.
The PDP has, however, denied involvement in the incident.
A statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday and signed by Emma Okah, the chairman, Media and Publicity Committee of the PDP Campaign Organization, condemned the act, and urged the police and other security agencies to investigate the incident and prosecute the culprits.
LEADERSHIP, Channels TV Correspondents Stabbed, Robbed
Meanwhile, journalists covering the rally were not spared the violence unleashed at the APC rally with the Channels TV correspondent receiving stab wounds from the hoodlums and his LEADSERSHIP counterpart being attacked and robbed of his work tools, including cameras, phones and other item.
Other journalists also suffered one loss or the other as the hoodlums unleashed terror on people at the rally despite the presence of armed policemen.
The injured Channels TV correspondent was hospitalised at the time of filing this report.
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