Reports have emerged of arrests of All Progressives Congress members in Port Harcourt,Rivers State capital Friday moring.One of such said “Emmanuel Deeyah, the Rivers State all progressives party state chieftain has only this morning just been arrested at the state Office of INEC where he was present at the distribution of materials.”
An official who confirmed the arrest said “The APC in Rivers state is worried about this as it confirms our fears that the federal government does not want elections to hold in Rivers state.
The official asserted that “The PDP had risen from a meeting with instructions that all APC chieftains and as many members as possible should be arrested.
“Arrests began yesterday night with massive arrests planned for today up till 5am on Saturday. The idea is to keep as many APC members as possible away from the possible from Saturday’s elections.
Amaechi Escapes Assassination
The Rivers State Chapter ofthe All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged an assassination attempt on the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi. Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said that the attempt took place on Thursday at the Rumuolumeni area of Port Harcourt, the State capital. The attempt to kill Amaechi was made by some unidentified gun-wielding youths who had first blocked the exit route of the governor’s convoy. As the suspected killers advanced to where Amaechi was addressing supporters of All Progressives Congress, APC, where he had gone for the final leg of the party’s door-to-door campaign in Obio/Akpor, the governor’s security details returned fire. Amaechi was shielded by his security personnel to safety. He, however,was not hurt.
Unconfirmed reports stated that a certain number of men have been allegedly commissioned to kill Amaechi on Saturday in Ubima, Ikwerre local government when he shall visit to cast his vote during the March 28 Presidential election. According to sources in Ubima, which is Amaechi’s hometown, some strange faces had been sighted doing are connaissance of Ubima. Amaechi is the Director-General of Buhari Presidential Campaign Organisation.
“All the same, we thank Godfor his divine intervention, if not, the story would have been different,”Ikanya said in a statement. He said that Gov. Amaechi’s ordeal was far from being over as arrangement have been concluded to attack him anywhere he may be sighted in Port Harcourt before 28th March, 2015.
“To add to our travails, the Port Harcourt residence of our gubernatorial candidate, Dr.Dakuku Peterside, has been cordoned off while 35 APC leaders have been arrested in the past 24 hours for no just cause,” Ikanya stated.
He blamed the State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of working in concert with the police on what is code-named ‘Operation Holocaust’ which started on Thursday and would involve a house-to-house attack on APC members in Rivers. “The non-indigenes have already been forced to flee the State,” he said, adding: “By Friday they willgo for Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, the Asari Toru LGA CTC Chairman, attempting to murder him with other APC leaders in Asari-Toru and Akuku-Toru. After that theywill invade the home of Chief Victor Giadom, the Director General of APC Campaign Organisation, at Gokana, to arrest him with Senator Magnus Abe and Hon.Barika. The following people have been listed to be attacked: Udi Odun inAbua, Cassidy Ikegbedi in Ahoada, Allwell Oneyeroh in Etche, Nnamdi Okere inOke-Etche.
“Facts available to us show that shooting is currently going on in Okirika in a test run of some ofthe ammunition imported for this purpose as warlord Ateke Tom celebrates the assemblage of over 2,000 armed ex-militants to ensure that election does not hold in Rivers State, apart from illegal polling units so designated by INEC where only PDP members will be allowed to thumb-print and results announced accordingly.”
I Have Not Defected To PDP,Says Rivers APC Chair
Ikanya in the statement dismissed as ridiculous, the rumour making the rounds that he has defected to PDP. “That will never happen. Whoever started or is spreading that lie should be treated for acute malaria,” he said. He disclosed that the rumour came to his attention while he was chairing a meeting of APC stakeholders with Governor Amaechi in the Government House.
“Let me state emphatically that should everybody decide to dump APC today, I, Dr.Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, will be the last person to dump the party because I am a man of principles. You can be rest assured of this,” he said. The Rivers APC Chairman dismissed the rumour as the handiwork of the Rivers PDP.
He said: “Last Monday, Mr. Felix Obuah, the PDP State Chairman while receiving thed efected Deputy Governor, Engr Tele Ikuru, boasted that about six commissioners in Gov. Amaechi’s cabinet would be joining them by Wednesday – that is, two days ago. If I may ask, where are the commissioners that have joined them? Of course, only a Judas Iscariot can join them. In every given time only one Judas exists and he has already departed, thereby leaving APC more virile, united and stronger.
