8th April, 2015
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers state has vowed that all those involved in the brutal killing of supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state during the electioneering period will face the full wrath of the law.
Amaechi made the disclosure when he paid a condolence visit on the families of late Chief Christopher Adube in Obirikom, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni local government area of the state.
Chief Adube, alongside three of his children, his younger brother, lyke Ikechukwu and his two gatemen were shot dead last Friday in his Obrikom residence while two of his children who were wounded by bullet shots are receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
Amaechi assured the bereaved family that his administration will fish out the killers and prosecute them accordingly.
“All those responsible for this bloody act will pay for it. This kind of killing of APC supporters has gone beyond political violence. Why should politicians go beyond politicking and try to take any body’s life? They will pay for this, I promise to fish out the culprits,” he assured.
Earlier, in his door to door sensitization tour to wards in Khana local government area, Amaechi assured that votes for April 11 guber elections in the state will count at every polling units.
While addressing APC supporters in Bani, Bean Ken-Khana, Kaani-babee, Nwiyakara, Kono-Boue, Uegwere-Boue, Zaakpor, Kaani and Opu-oko communities, Amaechi frowned at the electoral fraud and rigging of the presidential election by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and warned that any criminally minded person who attempts to deprive Rivers people from exercising their legitimate franchise will be made to face the full wrath of the law.
According to him, “We are all eyewitnesses to what happened during the last presidential election where the Peoples Democratic Party carried out electoral fraud with INEC officers and the police. But now, the police or the military will not harass you again. I have come to thank you all for refusing to vote without result sheets in 28th March elections. I called one of my friends in the army and cautioned him then he told me on phone that, “Sir, Parade has changed gear”.
Governor said what the statement means is that, supporters of APC will no longer be molested and harassed by the police or the military. Everybody can come out and exercise their franchise.
He told them to ensure that, the APC party agents are at every polling unit, at least 50 persons per unit, wait after accreditation and voting before allowing the party agents to follow the results to the collection centres. Our votes for the guber election will be counted at the polling units and recorded in the result sheets,” Amaechi said.
Governor Amaechi also urged Rivers people and the people of Khana in particular to massively turn out for the guber elections this Saturday and vote for the governorship flag bearer of the All Progressive Congress, Dr. Dakuku Adol-Peterside.
“Even if the PDP stole our votes and our mandate last Presidential election, they have agreed to behave this time around. You have a duty to come out enmass, don’t go to farm on Saturday, it is set aside for you to come out and vote the candidate of your choice. We will all vote for APC and ensure Dakuku becomes our governor,” Amaechi stated.
Amaechi who also doubles as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Director-General General Buhari campaign Organisation advised decampees from the PDP to APC to join the party and increase the votes for the APC governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, adding that, it was the only meaningful means of bringing the federal government closer to the state to increase the pace of development after May 29th, 2015.
“I came to seek your votes for the gubernatorial and state House of Assembly elections. Tell your brothers and sisters in PDP who are willing to decamp or has decamed to APC to remain steadfast. They should join us to increase the votes of APC. If we come together and vote Dakuku and our lawmakers on the platform of APC, when Buhari assumes office in May 29th, 2015, we expect the pace of development in Rivers State to also increase,” Amaechi explained.