We’ll Abolish Corruption, Insecurity  —Buhari

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, has promised to abolish corruption and tackle insecurity which he said had risen to an intolerable level that the present government could not fight it.

Buhari made the promise at the flag off of the APC presidential campaign Tuesday while addressing tens of thousands of APC supporters at Adokiye Amaisiamaka stadium in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital in southern Nigeria.

He called on Nigerians of voting age to make sure they collect their voter’s cards to effect the desired change in the country.

However, in a desperate attempt to stop supporters of APC from attending the rally, some masked gunmen in the early hours of the day shot at supporters from the Kaani in Khana Local Government, Ogoni around Saakpenwa axis.

The Rivers State Governor and chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Chibuike Amaechi, in his opening speech, accused the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of masterminding the attack.

“They have guns, but we have God and people. We’ll confront them with our determination for change,” he said.

It was also learnt that those who sustained bullet wounds have been rushed undisclosed hospitals for treatment.

Comrade Celestine Akpobari, a prominent Ogoni and environment rights activist told P.M.NEWS Tuesday morning that “I m not only confirming that gunmen ambushed some Ogoni people going to APC rally in Port Harcourt, I’m telling you that about five persons sustained injuries from bullets wounds.They have taken been rushed to natives who specialised in bullet extraction in Ogoniland. The state government has ordered that after the extraction of the bullets they should be taken to the state owned hospital for treatment.”

Akpobari lamented that elections have not started but some people have started spilling other people’s blood.

“No politician is worth anybody’s blood. If you kill everybody, who will you govern,” he queried politicians who send people to kill their opponents.

Also, they was a  report about another attack by masked gunmen on APC supporters in their buses.

They were coming from Akuku-Toru and Degema local government areas when the gunmen opened fire on them at Okpo in Asari-Toru Local Government Area.

Ahmad Muhammad, the spokesman from the Rivers Police Command, claimed that the command had not received the report of the incidents at the time of going to press.

Buhari’s running mate, Yemi Osinbajo,  Chief John Odigie Oyegun, Senator Magnus Abe, Abike Dabiri, Governor Amaechi’s wife, Judith, and others also attended the rally.