The Nation Newspaper

Category: Verdict 2015

Election in Nigeria 2015

Plateau LP guber candidate declares support for APC

The governorship candidate of Labor Party in Plateau state Ambassador Bagudu Hirse has announced the withdrawal of his candidature from the governorship race.

Ambas Hirse who announced his withdrawal in the governorship contest during a press conference in Jos Tuesday said, “The decision to withdraw from the contest was taken to allow my teaming supporters to vote the governorship candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Barrister Simon Lalong”

According to Ambass Hirse, “Each of the three senatorial zone in Plateau state produced a governorship candidate to contest in the April 11 election, but I have decided to step down my ambition and pave way for APC victory in the election.

“My reason is simple with the victory of APC at the presidential level, it will not be in the interest of Plateau to allow another party to win the governorship other than APC in the state because we can’t afford not to be in the mainstream of national politics.

“I therefore use this opportunity to inform all my supporters to vote massively for the success of APC in the governorship election so as to put plateau in tune with the federal government of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari from May 29th.

“Mat I use this opportunity to congratulate the president-elect and the Presidential candidate of APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari for his massive victory at the polls. The president-elect has convinced Nigerians beyond reasonable doubt that he will be magnanimouse in victory.”

April 7, 2015
Guber poll: El-Rufai exposes alleged PDP’s plan to rig

Kaduna State Governorship Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Malam Nasir El-Rufai has exposed alleged plot by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rig Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

According to El-Rufai, PDP is presently working to undermine Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC) and Card Reader device so as to ensure massive rigging in the state.

The candidate, who featured in a Freedom Radio Kaduna breakfast programme ‘Barka da Warhaka’, also said the PDP is recruiting and arming thugs to disrupt the election.

He further said that, the PDP led government has imported armed thugs in perpetrating rigging of the election, aside sinister dealings with some unprincipled INEC personnel to aid their sinister motive.

He said, “We got credible intelligence and alerted the police, military, DSS and INEC. They have been running from pillar to pillar in the name of thwarting effectiveness of Card Readers. They adopted using of armed thugs to intimidate voters and carry out ballot snatching and stuffing of boxes for declaration. They planned to withhold result sheets and other plots.

“They met with some security personnel and sealed deals and we submitted all the details with empirical evidences to the authorities. And so, we are watching closely and will not give them a chance.”

He also said that no one will perpetrate crisis in the state and go free, saying, “It is not war or fight, it is supposed to be a contest and so, no one will escape prosecution if he incite crisis in our state. The coming government of General Buhari and will follow all cases to the later.

“We have reports of how some serving commissioners and a senior staff of the governor are arming thugs, and like I said we have documented all these and submitted.

“They cannot intimidate citizens of our state, the people of Kaduna state have right to decide their future and no amount of money will work, no force, no manipulation of religion. Let them learn from presidential election. Did Sambo and his gang not bring millions? Did it work? Did Yero not commit state and local government resources? Did it work?” El-Rufai asked.

April 7, 2015
Election: IGP to redeploy officers to Rivers, and other states

In a bid to forestall electoral incidences in the forthcoming gubernatorial and state assembly election, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Suleiman Abba has said he will deploy more officers to Rivers State and other volatile states.

Also, the IGP said that three suspects have been arrested in Enugu in connection with the blast that took place during the presidential elections.

The Police chief disclosed this in Abuja Tuesday during a meeting with State Commissioners of Police as part of preparation for the election.

On the unrest in Rivers, Abba said: “Let me confirm to you that arrests have been made and there are also suspects identified with incidence in Rivers including those that were committed as far back as during the period of campaigns.

“We have identified culprits or those suspected to have being involved or being the mastermind of these offences. We have not made it public because we are using all other avenues, our intelligence and operatives are out there to arrest them. Where we don’t get them immediately, perhaps, after a little while, we will exhaust other avenues including declaring them wanted.

On the deployment of more personnel, the IGP said: “The purpose of our meeting includes strengthening our deployment to Rivers and other states where we feel we really need to strengthen the deployments to prevent lawlessness. It is not only in Rivers, there are also two or three other states that we will strengthen our deployment from senior officers down to other officers so that we take charge and make sure those incidences are not recorded anymore.

Speaking on the bomb blast incidence that occurred during the presidential election in Enugu, the IGP explained: “We have arrested three suspects in connection to the case and our investigation has gone to a very advanced stage and we were able to identify the factory where those Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) were manufactured and I think that alone is a big success and investigation is ongoing.

While commending men of the Police for the display of professionalism, impartiality, and non-partisanship during the presidential election, Abba noted that 124 suspects were arrested for various electoral offences, adding that some have been charged to court, while investigations continue.

His word: “So far, we have 124 incidences of electoral offences that we have investigated and quite a number of them have been charged to court already while others will still require INEC’s intervention.

Reacting to the supposed threat message by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu to Igbos in Lagos, the IGP said since the traditional ruler has denied the allegation, he was not in any position to state otherwise.
The IGP said: “On the issue of Oba of Lagos making statement about who electorates or voters should vote for in this election, I saw it in the media and I tried all my best to verify whether that statement was made and so far, what I have been able to gather is the fact that the Oba himself denied it.

“And if he denied it, who I’m I to say otherwise. However, if for any reason that become a subject of further efforts to confirm if he did it or not, I think we will leave that to the future but for now, this is what I have,” he added.

April 7, 2015
ACPN governorship candidate adopt Ahmed

The governorship candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) in Kwara Tuesday again adopted the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and all APC candidates for House of Assembly seats in the April 11, 2015 general elections.

Seven parties, under the aegis of Congress of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), had earlier adopted Governor Ahmed as their governorship candidate for the Saturday elections.

The parties based their decision on the need to be in the mainstream of the nation’s politics.

The parties involved are Action Alliance (AA), Progressive Peoples’ Alliance (PPA), United Progressives Party, Social Democratic Party (SDP), Citizen Popular Party (CPP), African Peoples’ Alliance (APA) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Speaking with reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, the state chairman of ACPN, Mr. Abraham Omotosho, who is also the governorship candidate of the party, expressed the confidence of the party in the capacity and competence of Governor Ahmed to continue to steer the ship of the state in the direction of peace, progress, stability and development.

Omotosho said the decision was in line with directive of the national executive committee of the party, directing members of the party to vote for and mobilise for the APC to ensure victory for the party on Saturday.

Said he: “Having done the a review of the policies and achievements of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed-led administration, which is a product of the Saraki political dynasty, we reached the conclusion that the governor has made commendable progress in poverty eradication, peaceful co-existence, youth empowerment, job creation, security of lives and property, infrastructure development, education, and made significant impact in other key sectors of the state economy.

“We also put into consideration the fact that Saraki dynasty is united under the leadership of Dr. Bukola Saraki. We are particularly happy that the duo of Senator Saraki and Senator Gbemisola Saraki are now united to pursue the progress and development of Kwara state and her people under one political platform. The Saraki political dynasty has stood by Kwarans and for Kwarans for many decades and we are eternally grateful to the dynasty,” the statement said.

The ACPN chairman, who said the party welcomed the outcome of the March 28 presidential election, added that the victory of General Muhammadu Buhari is a signal of a better tomorrow for Nigerians, and especially for the people of Kwara state.

He also said that the ACPN, under the late founder, Dr. Olusola Saraki, maintained a cordial beneficial relationship with the government at the centre, “which endeared development and comforting patronage to the state. Our party therefore, having been founded on the principles of our late leader, pivoted on the welfare of Kwarans, is committed to maintaining this stead, even without his physical presence.”

April 7, 2015
April 11: Commissioner urges Lagos residents to vote APC

A Commissioner in the Lagos State Civil Service Commission and one of the leaders of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Olorunda Local Council Development Area in Badagry, Pastor Israel Olufunso Alagbe has appealed to residents of Lagos state to vote for APC in the Saturday April 11 governorship and House of Assembly elections.

Alagbe, one of the apex leaders of the Badagry Divisional Forum who also contested for the Badagry federal constituency House of Representatives seat but lost in the primaries made the appeal in a chat with our correspondent at Badagry Tuesday.

He appealed passionately to Lagosians to vote for the APC governorship candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode and other House of Assembly candidates in the state.

According to Alagbe, “voting APC to govern Lagos State at this time with the same party at the Federal level will bring great development to the state and its inhabitants. It will be a round table conference of the same family where decisions that benefit the state will not receive any strict opposition.

“Our Local Council Development Areas shall be confirmed fully as Local Government Areas. We were cheated because some States with less population have more local governments while Lagos with greater population has been denied approval of more local governments. It is because we are not in the same political family with them.

“Now if we vote APC in Lagos the way will be smooth to remove every political bottle neck intentionally created. If we actually want better government in Lagos State, vote APC members of House of Assembly, vote Ambode for governor. Enough of sufferings as an opposition state. Let us share from same source for the benefit of all of us,” Alagbe said.

He stressed further that, the state suffered a lot of deprivation and suffered a lot from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led Federal Government all these years of democratic governance because an opposition party, APC, has been in control of the state.

“The government at the center created various bottle necks in order to make Lagos State non functional because the State is in opposition. The State was denied any form of patronage by the PDP led federal government and was denied all its due as a former federal capital. Now all that will stop if we vote APC in Saturday’s election,” Alagbe said.

April 7, 2015
April 11: APC warns INEC, Security agencies against compromise

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State has called attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Abia State Commissioner of Police, the Director, DSS and the military authority in the state to the allegation of widespread manipulation of the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The party said that the personnel of the above mentioned agencies compromised their commitment to providing a level playing field for all candidates and parties in the state, saying the party would not accept a repeat of that in the governorship and House of Assembly elections next Saturday.

The party however called for the cancellation of all the national Assembly results in the state because it does not reflect the true wishes of the people and called on the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the State to release the authentic result.

Speaking in Umuahia at a stakeholders meeting chairman of the party, Hon Donatus Nwankpa, said that the party will no longer accept ineptitude of the security agencies and the INEC in the state in the forthcoming election this week.

Nwankpa said, “The APC condemn the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections in Abia state, the conspiracy of INEC and security agencies, the connivance of the ad-hoc staff, who are members of PDP.”

He condemned the action of the local government chairmen who turned the local government headquarters into collation centers and warned that they should be ready to face the wrath of the people of the state if they interfere in the elections again.

Nwankpa requested for the reshuffling and overhaul of the personnel for the April 11 polls including the presiding officers and assistant presiding officers, adding that the card reader machines be used for the next election in order to ensure the integrity of the elections.

He said the APC would do everything to resist acts of intimidation and brutalization and called on the people to join in ensuring that the election is acceptable.

The APC chairman said, “The proper conduct of the next election is the responsibility of everyone, not the exclusive responsibility of APC, we will not allow another manipulation”.

He disclosed that the party is already discussing with other parties in the state for possible alliance to face the common enemy of the people which he said is the PDP.

He called on Ndigbo to vote APC candidates and to support the national government of APC so as not to be in opposition with the attendant loss of political relevance.

April 7, 2015
I didn’t endorse Folarin, others – Monarch

The Sarkin Sasa of Ibadanland, Alhaji Haruna Maiyasin Katsina has dissociated himself from a reported endorsement of the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen Teslim Folarin or any other governorship candidates in the state.

He said at no point did he ever endorse anyone governorship candidates in the state.

Katsina, who is also the Chairman of Arewa taditional‎ rulers in 17 States in Southern Nigeria, spoke Tuesday at his palace in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

“I was just discharge from the hospital and I was surprised to hear in the news that I have endorsed Sen Teslim Folarin as the governorship candidate of my choice and that all Hausa’s and Fulani’s should vote for him, it’s a lie. Although all the governorship candidates have visited me to seek my support and I just bless them and urge them to desist from causing violence in the state.

“Governor Ajimobi is my good son and I supported him in 2011 and I will never work against his second term ambition. I am not a politician but a royal father and leader, so I will never campaign for any politician. Anybody or politician using my name to campaign should desist from such or else I will be force to curse them. Its peace I want in all parts of this state. I don’t want tribal or ethnic crisis,” he said

The Sarkin stated that he is happy with the victory of Gen Buhari, adding that it does not make him a politician but a supporter of good tidings in the country.

He went further to thank the voters and citizens of the state for their peaceful conduct at the last presidential and national assembly election, urging them to emulate such at the upcoming governorship and house of assembly election in the state.

He urged the Arewa people in the state to conduct themselves orderly at the April 11 election in the state and vote for any candidate of their choice without been bought over by politicians.

April 7, 2015
April 11 Poll: Ondo PDP gives Mimiko condition

Ahead of this Saturday state house of assembly and governorship elections in Ondo state, Some aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have set up a 25-man committee to meet with governor Olusegun Mimiko and table the conditions on which they can only work for the success of the PDP candidates in the election.

The members, mainly the old PDP in the state arrived at the conditions at a meeting at the party Secretariat in Owo local government.

‎The old PDP wants Mimiko to involve them in all activities of the party, give them separate mobilization funds for the coming elections and he must deal directly with members of the committee they set up.

In the meeting chaired by a Chieftain of the party, Hon. Femi Adekanmbi blamed the woeful performance of the party in the last Presidential and National Assembly Polls on imposition of candidates by Mimiko.

He noted that during the process of the elections, old members of the party were marginalised in all aspect most especially in the mobilization of fund sent to the state.

Adekanmbi said “We took some resolutions in the meeting, some said we should go and join APC, others said we should remain in PDP and give the governor conditions that he must recognized old PDP and a committee has been set up to meet with the governor and come out with decisions on the way forward latest by Tuesday.

“We are going to inform the governor personally that if he wants us to remain in PDP, the old members must be respected and carried along in all activities of the party. The people also said they must be Mobilised with fund separately from that of new members and that if the governor wants his candidates to win, he not must not deal with anybody except the committee set up by them.

“If the governor fails to meet the conditions given, he should be expecting another woeful performance from the party. As at now, series of meetings are going on by leaders of old PDP members in the State but someone like me, I refused to attend but I preferred to hold a meeting with my people in my primary constituency which is Owo and Ose.

“It is unfortunate that governor Mimiko allowed thing to degenerate to this level. We must move on. I pray things can still be redeemable, otherwise, I have my fear. Imposition of candidates caused Jonathan the chance to lose Owo, take for instance in Owo, he went to impose somebody that was not popular.

“They pleaded to him that he should change the candidates but he insisted that he will win and I think the people showed to Mimiko that he is not God. Imposition of candidate and the other one is finance, these are the things that worked against PDP. Nobody among the old has money to work with. They only used the token I gave them and the one from senator Bode Olajumoke which was his own personal money to work on that day.

“It is so sad that President Goodluck Jonathan brought billions of naira to Ondo State and old PDP in Owo and Ose do not have a dime from the money. It was only the new PDP who sat on them and no one naira was disbursed for the old PDP members. So that was where the failure came from. If the governor can fulfill the condition fine, but if not, the APC here we come.”

April 7, 2015
Heavyweights desert PDP

Deputy governor, senators, ex-minister quit in Edo, Kwara, Benue, others

A wave of defections has hit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

It was not immediately clear yesterday whether the party’s loss in the March 28 presidential election triggered the defections.

In Jigawa, Kwara, Kebbi and Gombe states, key political figures yesterday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In Benue State, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Michael Kaase Aondoakaa resigned from the PDP. He is yet to join another party.

In Edo State, the PDP candidate in the 2012 governor ship election, Maj.- Gen. Charles Arhiavbere was received into the APC yesterday by Governor Adams Oshiomhole. He announced his defection at the weekend.

Jigawa State Deputy Governor Ahmed Mahmoud led the defectors at a ceremony in his home town Gumel.

Mahmoud along with a Special Adviser to Governor Sule Lamido, Alhaji Bello Dansokoto; the immediate past executive Chairman, Dutse Capital Development Authority, Alhaji Bashir Aminu and the immediate past Chairman of Gumel Local Government Council, Alhaji Ya’u Kura, defected, taking with them thousands of supporters.

The defectors were received by executive members of the party and a massive crowd of APC supporters. They described their exit from the PDP as “good riddance”.

Mahmoud, who spoke at the venue, said: “My defection is as a result of my personal and supporters’ interest that prevailed on my conscience to do the right thing.”

The deputy governor, who spoke amidst shouts of “change” by thousands of APC supporters, added: “I have been loyal to Governor Sule Lamido up to this moment and I pray that all of you should as a matter of respect reciprocate same to me and this party.”

He said he had no regret over his decision to join the APC.

Mahmoud becomes the fourth deputy governor to defect – the third to leave the PDP for the APC – after Niger State Deputy Governor Ahmed Ibeto and Ondo State Deputy Governor Ali Olanusi. Rivers State Deputy Governor Tele Ikuru left the APC for the PDP.

But after his action yesterday, the state PDP chapter issued a statement saying it had expelled Mahmud.

The statement signed by the PDP chairman of Galagamma ward in Gumel, Jigawa State Alhaji Ibrahim Kafinta, said the decision to expel Mahmoud was taken during a stakeholders meeting held in his ward.

Kafinta alleged that the deputy governor sabotaged the party during the National Assembly elections.

He said the Gumel Local Government headquarters of the party had endorsed the expulsion.

Former Governor Saminu Turaki also defected to the APC.

Turaki requested that his official reception into the party should be held at his Kazaure Emirate home town today.

He was joined on the defection train by Alhaji Abba Anas and Senator Muhammad Dudu. Dudu represented Jigawa North-East Senatorial District between 1999 and 2007.

Receiving the defectors, APC Chairman Ado Sani Kiri said the party had increased from strength to strength. He assured the new members that they would be accorded the same treatment as those they met in the party.

One of the defectors, former House of Representatives member Alhaji Anas, explained why he joined the APC.

The former member representing Guri/Hadejia/Kirikasamma Federal Constituency said: ”I am joining the PDP due to the overwhelming support Nigerians gave to General Muhammadu Buhari and one cannot be left out”.

Gombe State House of Assembly Majority Leader Mamman Alkali yesterday joined hundreds of others who left the ruling PDP for the APC.

The defectors included over 50 Special and Personal Assistants to Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo.

Alhaji Ibrahim Zamfara, a member of PDP Elders Committee, who spoke on behalf of the defectors, said they dumped the PDP because they wanted to avoid a situation where Gombe would end up as an opposition state.

”We have decided to embrace change because of shoddy happenings in the PDP. The party lacks transparency and we are fed up with the discriminatory activities of PDP in Gombe State.

”We feel it will be better for us to pitch our tent with the winning train so that the state can benefit and move forward,” he said.

Receiving the defectors, APC governorship candidate Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya promised them a fair deal, saying they should feel free and consider themselves as bona fide members of the party.

He said their decision was timely and would further enhance APC’s fortunes ahead of Saturday’s governorship and legislative elections

In Ilorin, no fewer than 20,000 supporters of the 2011 governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Kwara State, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN), have defected to the APC.

The defectors were led by Rev. Bunmi Olusona, a close associate of Belgore.

Belgore was the state’s coordinator of the Jonathan Campaign Organisation.

Mr. Adebayo Ajimoti, Alhaji Gobir Mohammed, Alhaji Dele Sarkinwa, Dr. Mohammed Potun, Funso Agaka, Alhaji Nasiru Ubandawaki, Mr. Yunus Abdullahi and Mr. Dada Abiodun also defected.

In a letter addressed to the state’s chairman of APC, Alhaji Ishola Balogun-Fulani, the former PDP leaders traced their decision to a meeting they held with the APC leader in the state, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and their realisation that the PDP is “made up of people who do not have the interest of the state at heart”.

The letter, dated April 6, 2015, described their decision to join the PDP in the first instance, as a result of “ignorance”, They lamented that what they found in the PDP was best described as belonging to a “generation of vipers”.

The letter said: “We make bold to tell Kwarans that they should stay away from the party because it is a sinking ship.” The letter claimed that the PDP had been able to produce an array of bad candidates who voters have come to see as clueless politicians.

The defectors also wrote that they were never comfortable with the environment due to what they labelled as the practice of politics of bitterness by “self-seeking and attention-craving politicians”.

The defectors said “for continued progress and prosperity”, the new APC members directed their followers to freely go to thelr wards and team up with the APC and vote for the party’s candidates for governorship and House of Assembly positions.

Aondoakaa (SAN) sent a letter of resignation “with immediate effect” from the PDP to his ward chairman, asking that his name be struck off the members’ list in Lessel Township Ward.

Aondoakaa, said he came to “this important decision” after due consultation with his family, friends and political associates. He said he would concentrate on his legal practice.

On the governorship and House of Assembly elections, he enjoined the people to vote according to their conscience.

The immediate past chairman of the PPD in Kebbi State and dozens of other leaders have dumped the party for the APC,.

Three aggrieved governorship aspirants – Mansir Mansa, Hussaini Adamu and Zubairu Dabai – also defected to the APC.

They accused the PDP of victimising them and expressed a lack of confidence that the party will give them justice.

Other party leaders who moved to the APC are: Abbas Jega, Danjuma Kamba, Shehu Malisa, Bala Gwandu, Rilwanu Auwal, Ilyasu Kambaza, Dambegu Vice, Usman Zuru, Danjuma Zuru, Aliyu Kalgo, Haruna Magarza, Abu Dangoje, and Bello Kaoje, who lost the Suru/Bagudu Federal Constituency election to an APC candidate.

The running mate of the APC governorship candidate, Sama’ila Yombe, who received the defectors in Zuru on Sunday, said the party was consulting with many other PDP members to join the APC before the governorship election.

“PDP is not a party to remain in,” he said.

April 7, 2015
We’ve lost 56 members in Rivers, says APC

•PDP: we’re not to blame

PICTURE of the political killings in Rivers State was presented yesterday in Abuja, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) alleging that it lost 56 members.

Besides, over 150 others were victims of harassment, said the party. It accused security agents and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of complicity in the situation.

At a news conference in Abuja, APC National Publicity Secretary Lai Mohammed said the development had become worrisome, considering the fact that these killings were “in the full glare of security agents”.

Mohammed is concerned that the killings have increased ahead of the weekend’s governorship and state Assembly elections.

He queried why nobody had been arrested by security agents for the killings.

He said: “We have lost 55 persons so far in the run-off to the elections. APC does not have the capacity nor the will to frustrate elections. You all saw what happened in Rivers State during the last elections.

“ If you did not see anything, at least you saw when the Returning Officer was asked to read the results, he could not because it was not written by him.

“Our party is a party that believes in the Rule of Law. They have the police, the DSS and INEC. They have these three groups which they are using to subvert democracy in Rivers State. Everyday, they are killing our people and nobody is being held responsible.

“We complained that elections did not take place in Rivers. We wrote a petition on that and the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said they set up an Investigative Committee and that what they came out with does not give them any reason to cancel the election. We accept that, but that is without prejudice to our right to challenge these infractions at the Election Petition Tribunal.

“We are saying two things here. First, we are as much concerned for a peaceful, free and fair election as much as being concerned about the safety and security of our people. We are losing lives everyday and this is uncalled for.

“How come Rivers State has recorded more deaths than any other state in the run-off to this election? Or these people that are dying, are they ghosts? We report every time and we hear that the police are after the killers, yet last night one of our leaders was killed. We are saying all these so that we don’t end up creating a situation that even after elections, we will not have sustainable peace.

“I do not see why federal institutions should be used to further the interest of individuals or groups. Federal institutions should be neutral. We are not crying wolf but saying that our people are dying daily and we are asking both international and local observers to take a look at this and prevent a total breakdown.

“We have won the Federal Government and so why should we be interested in oil revenue coming from one state? We are running a federal system of government under which the states have some autonomy. It does not matter who is the governor of Rivers State. Whoever is the governor of Rivers State will have to administer the resources of Rivers State. What we are saying is, let the people of Rivers State choose who they want.”

The APC accused the PDP and its governorship candidate, Mr. Nyesom Wike, “aided by the security agencies”, of being behind he killings.

“Though this marauding started before the March 28th Presidential and National Assembly elections, it has become progressively worse as the governorship elections approach on Saturday.

“Last week, nine members of our party were killed in cold blood while many others were injured, when armed PDP thugs invaded Obrikom and Obor communities in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government. These thugs set ablaze the residence of Vincent Ogbagu, our candidate for the House of Assembly elections.

“Dozens of our members have been arrested on frivolous charges, just to put them away. At least four persons were arrested just because they defected to our party.

“APC members have been subjected to persistent harassment and intimidation across the state, using the police in Rivers and the Zone 6 in Calabar. Over 150 prominent members have been victims of this unprovoked persecution.

“And just today, we received another sad news from Rivers. An APC chieftain, Christopher Adube, was reportedly shot dead at the weekend. Adube, who hails from the Egbema Local Government Area, was said to have been shot dead at his residence. These are just some of the instances of what APC members and supporters in Rivers State have been subjected to in recent days.”

Mohammed accused security agents of colluding with PDP thugs to attack APC supporters.

He said: “It is very sad indeed that the terrorising of APC members and supporters in Rivers State has been carried out despite the presence of the police and other security agencies in the state.

“In fact, most of the attacks were carried out with the collusion of the security agencies, who have exchanged the garb of partisanship for that of professionalism.

“Elements of the security agencies have also participated directly in the targeted harassment and intimidation of our members. Even when our members have run to the police for succour, they have found none.

“The case of the Chairman, Caretaker Committee, of the Gokana Local Government Area, Mr. Kadilo Kabari, was particularly astonishing. He and Senator Magnus Abe, who represents Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, were attacked by PDP thugs right inside the Divisional Police Headquarters at Kpor.

“Their offence was that they dared to challenge PDP thugs, dressed in INEC kits, who were engaged in massive rigging during last week’s Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state. That these PDP thugs could use a police station for rigging speaks volumes about the role of the security agencies in that election.

“Of course, it is needless to say that the collusion of INEC with the PDP and the police to pave the way for unbridled violence against APC members and supporters, and the subsequent rigging of the elections, was spearheaded by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the Rivers, Ms. Gesilia Khan.

“This issue is already the subject of a very strong petition which our party has written to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.”

He said the party was confident that its petition was already receiving the desired attention.

Mohammed added: “We have decided to give the details of the relentless killing, maiming, harassment and intimidation of our members and supporters in Rivers State before, during and after the presidential and National Assembly elections so that Nigerians can see that everything has been done, and is still being done, to make sure that free, fair and peaceful elections do not hold in the state

“The attacks, arrests and intimidation targeted at APC members and supporters in Rivers have become even more widespread in the run up to the governorship and House of Assembly elections. We are very concerned that the prevailing atmosphere of mindless violence and brigandage does not augur well for a free, fair and credible elections in the state.

“We are worried that no one has been held responsible even where our members have been killed, and that the police and other security agencies, as well as INEC, have turned themselves to appendages of the PDP, in what is nothing but the height of impunity.

“We are therefore using this opportunity to call on local and international observers, as well as the Civil Society Organisations under the aegis of The Situation Room, to pay a close attention to Rivers State – as well as other states considered to be flash points – during the forthcoming governorship and House of Assembly elections.

“In particular, they should beam their searchlight on the role of the security agencies and INEC officials in Rivers, who have decided to jettison their neutrality and join the fray.”

Mohammed said APC is opposed to the attachment of security agents to PDP officials during the governorship poll.

He said: “To prevent the security agencies from becoming the tools of harassment and intimidation in the hands of PDP members and officials, we are opposed to the attachment of security personnel to PDP officials during the elections. This will go a long way in reducing cases of persecution of our members.

“The hierarchies of the security agencies, especially the police and the DSS, as well as INEC, must read the riot act to their members posted to Rivers State for election duties. The kind of mindless collusion with the PDP by the same officials mandated to ensure free, fair, credible and peaceful polls – which was witnessed in Rivers during the presidential elections – will not be tolerated this time.

“We appeal to our members and supporters in Rivers State to continue to conduct themselves peacefully, while making sure they document every case of killing, maiming, harassment and intimidation targeted at them, as well as all instances of election malpractice. In the fullness of time, no one who has engaged in this untoward actions will go scot-free as they will be made to face the full wrath of the law.”

April 7, 2015