Rivers PDP accuses APC of attack on rally

The Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has accused the All Progressives Congress of masterminding Saturday’s attack on its governorship rally in Bakana, Degema Local Government Area.

Rivers State PDP Chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah, who made this call in Port Harcourt on Sunday, described the attack on its governorship candidate, Chief Nyesom Wike, as barbaric.

Obuah called for the arrest of the APC governorship candidate in the state, Dr. Dakuku Peterside and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Otelemaba Dan-Amachree.

He explained that the duo should be able to tell the police what they knew about the attack on the PDP governorship rally in Degema.

Obuah, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Jerry Needam, noted that the attack on the PDP rally was an attempt by the APC to destabilise the state and derail the elections, having come to the realisation that Rivers people had resolved to unanimously vote for the PDP.

“The interrogation and arrest of the Rivers APC governorship candidate, Mr. Dakuku Peterside and factional Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly, Mr. Otelema Dan Amachree,  will help the police in their investigation to get at all the APC members involved,” the chairman said.

Obuah, however, urged PDP members in the state to remain calm, assuring that no amount of attack on his party members will stop the PDP from taking over the Government House and recover the stolen resources of the state.

Reacting, the State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Chris Fynebone, described the allegation against his party as falsehood cooked up by Obuah in order to shift attention from the wave of political violence perpetrated by the PDP.

“The call by the PDP chairman for the arrest of our governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Otelemaba Dan-Amachree, is not only mischievous, but also uncalled for.

“It is a known fact that the APC in Rivers State has tried to run a clean campaign. Why should it be now involved in violent disruption of another party’s campaign? I was not even aware of the incident until you called me now.

“I have known Dakuku Peterside from a very early age and I can tell you with a clear conscience that he is not somebody that can be linked to violence. Violence is not his stuff and he has never and can never suggest violence,” Fybone said.