Breaking: Amaechi Escapes Assassination Attempt
Breaking: Amaechi Escapes Assassination Attempt
According to The Nation News, the attempt at Amaechi’s life occurred in the evening, March 26, in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
Barely
24 hours after the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, raised the
alarm that a plot to assassinate him was on, his convoy was yesterday
attacked in Port Harcourt.
Thugs, who are suspected to be working for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), fired gunshots at his convoy.
Amaechi met at the Government House, Port Harcourt yesterday morning with the caretaker chairmen of the 23 local government areas and other stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Chief
Press Secretary to the Rivers Governor, David Iyofor, said in a text
message at 7:33 p.m. yesterday: “Gunshots fired at Governor Amaechi.
This (yesterday) evening, gunshots were fired at the Rivers State
Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, in Rumuolumeni (Port
Harcourt), Obio/Akpor LGA (of Rivers State) by PDP thugs. Obio/Akpor LGA
is the home of PDP Rivers governorship candidate, Nyesom Wike (an
indigene of Rumueprikom).
“The
thugs attacked the governor and his entourage with bottles, stones and
various dangerous objects. Then, gunshots were fired at the governor.
“For
now, two APC supporters are confirmed injured and bloodied. When the
governor was leaving the community, a bonfire was set up on the road to
prevent him from leaving. More gunshots were fired at his convoy.
Governor Amaechi was on a door-to-door ward campaign in the state.”
Police spokesman Muhammad Kidaya Ahmad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) said he was still trying to get the details.
Amaechi,
raising the alarm that his life was under threat, said he would not
leave Nigeria, as advised and would vote for all the candidates of the
APC.
Commissioner for Information and Communications Mrs. Ibim Semenitari last night in Port Harcourt said:
“The
PDP in Rivers State has concluded plans to launch house-to-house attack
on APC chieftains in the state, with the aid of security personnel.
“The
APC wishes to draw the attention of the police and other security
agents to this unwholesome development on the eve of the election
scheduled for March 28. It is more worrisome seeing that a few days ago,
a team of security personnel visited Governor Amaechi’s hometown to
carry out a reconnaissance. The visit coincided with authoritative
information that Governor Amaechi had been marked for assassination by a
combined team of the army and state security service personnel.”
The
Rivers government, according to Semenitari, reminded the security
agencies that they owed their allegiance, first of all, to Nigeria and
to its people, and must remember that they owed every Nigerian a duty of
protection, regardless of the person’s religious, political or social
affiliation.
Soldiers
yesterday laid siege to the country home of Edo State Governor Comrade
Adams Oshiomhole in Iyamho, Auchi, Etsako-West Local Government Area –
an action seen by residents as an attempt to “intimidate him on the
election day”.
Besides,
there were unconfirmed reports that the military high command in Abuja
had drafted a special unit to All Progressives Congress (APC)
strongholds in Edo North and Edo South senatorial zones to work against
the ruling party in the state.
According
to a statement by Edo Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr.
Louis Odion, last night, the aim is to manipulate the election’s
outcome in favour of PDP.
Odion
said: “Family members of the Comrade Governor were shocked to find his
country home taken over by soldiers this afternoon. When asked, the
invading force said they were acting on orders from above. We also have
it on good authority that the Army high command in Abuja had sent some
soldiers to Edo State on what they described as ‘special operations’. In
order not to arouse suspicion, these soldiers were told to dress in
suits and pose as SSS operatives and station themselves at polling units
on Election Day, particularly in areas seen as APC strongholds. They
were told to harass and possibly detain polling agents of APC in order
to clear the ground for rigging by agents of PDP who would be wearing
special hand bands. It is a rehash of the rigging manual implemented in
Ekiti last year.
“Two
days ago, our campaign jingle on Channels Television in which
Oshiomhole endorsed General Buhari was stopped abruptly after few
exposures on orders from above.
“For
the avoidance of doubt, we wish to use this medium to tell the Army
high command that Comrade Oshiomhole cannot be intimidated even with
whole might of the Nigerian Army from insisting on the application of
the principle of ‘One Man, One Vote’ on the Election Day. We hope that
as patriots, officers and men of the Nigerian Army will not allow
themselves to be used by political desperadoes to truncate this
democracy.”
Comments