The All Progressives Congress has condemned Monday’s attack on Rivers governorship candidate of the party, Tonye Cole, and some APC chieftains on their way to the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission to inspect the certified true copy of the electoral documents ahead of its date at the election petition tribunal.
Supporters of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party also chose the same day to protest at the INEC office, demanding a joint inspection of documents used for the March 18 governorship election.
On hearing that Cole was nearby, the protesters were reported to have raced towards his direction and pelted him with ‘pure water’ sachets and stones.
But for his security details who shielded him, the APC governorship candidate could have been mobbed.
What started as a peaceful protest degenerated into violence and indiscriminate gunshots where one of the warring parties was reportedly felled in the crossfire.
As of the time of this report, Cole has been invited by the Rivers State Police Command to come and explain his role in the violence that led to the death of the victim, who has since been revealed as a PDP supporter.
Reacting to the attack in a statement issued in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, condemned the attack, saying such barbaric acts have no place in a democracy.
While describing it as a premeditated confrontation by PDP thugs, Morka called on the police to carry out a thorough investigation, which he said was a ploy to frustrate Cole and discourage him from seeking justice at the election petition tribunal.
He said, “This barbaric and unprovoked attack occurred during a visit to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s office by Mr Tonye Cole, APC Governorship Candidate, Dr. Innocent Barikor, deputy governorship candidate, Mr. Emeka Beke, state chairman of the party and three other party officials to obtain the Certified True Copies of vital documents in the March 18 governorship and House of Assembly elections. Without warning, thugs and supporters of the PDP descended on our party officials, inflicting severe and life-threatening injuries on them, and damaging personal and party properties.
“This premeditated attack by PDP thugs and operatives on our officials and members in Port Harcourt is yet another in what has now become an orgy of violence carried out with mind-boggling audacity, and with absolutely no serious investigation by the police or repercussions for the instigators and perpetrators of this serial violence.
“Ostensibly, this latest attack was aimed at frustrating the effort of our Governorship Candidate to obtain vital documents to exercise his constitutional right to challenge the declared result of the Governorship election in the state. For the PDP that claims to have won the election to resort to this level of violence to block a legitimate legal challenge tells a different story of a party sitting precariously on needles and pins in the face of prospects of a legal challenge by our governorship candidate.
“While we commend the swift response of security agencies, especially the Police and the Nigerian Army in restoring peace and order in the wake of this brutal attack, again, we call on the Inspector General of Police to order an urgent and thorough investigation into this and previous incidents of violent attacks on leaders and members of our party in Rivers state, and to bring the sponsors and perpetrators to justice.”
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