The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm that
sympathizers of President Goodluck Jonathan are pushing Nigeria to the
precipice, after PDP-sponsored and police-backed militants attacked a
peaceful rally in Rivers State with guns and other weapons, for the
second consecutive Sunday.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its Interim National
Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the hoodlums,
who invaded the venue of the rally by the Save Rivers Movement (SRM)
in Bori, where the executives of the pan Rivers group in Khana Local
Government Area of the state were to be inaugurated, attacked those in
attendance and beat up some of the journalists who were invited to
cover the event, damaging their vehicles and equipment in the process.
It said while the attack was going on, the police – who had been
formally informed of the rally and were expected to provide protection
– instead gave the hoodlums a free rein, in the most egregious and
open display of partisanship by an institution of the state saddled
with ensuring the protection of lives and property of all citizens.
APC said the police carried its partisanship to another level when,
the previous day (Saturday), it sent over 300 men to protect a pro-PDP
rally that was used solely to launch a blistering verbal assault on
the APC and Gov. Chibuike Amaechi. The same police have offered
protection for a Pro-PDP group, GDI, which is holding another rally in
Degema on Sunday.
”Today’s (Sunday’s) attack came a week after a similar one saw a
Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Magnus Abe, shot by
policemen who also attacked and tear-gassed innocent women and
children, among others.
”As the presidency-backed impunity in Rivers worsens, we at the APC
are left with no choice than to alert all well-meaning Nigerians as
well as the international Community to call President Jonathan to
order, since he has refused to allow peace to reign in the state just
because of his personal ambition.
”Because of the danger this state-backed thuggery can inflict on our
young democracy; because of the harm being done to the polity by
escalating political violence; and because of the fact that impunity
does not breed peace, we will continue to cry out, hoping that reason
will prevail and that President Jonathan will no longer allow his
ambition to be watered by the blood of the same citizens he swore an
oath to protect.
”It is clear that despite the presidency’s loud silence on the Rivers
crisis, it is the architect of the violence in the state, and the 2014 Ekiti and Osun governorship elections and the 2015 general elections are the reasons.
That is why we will not relent in blaming the presidency for the violence. Surely, when the presidency is tired of violence, peace will return to Rivers state,” the party said.
