The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has absolved the party of any blame concerning the security operations by the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in Rivers State particularly in Yeghe, Gokana Local Government.

The party in a statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary Chris Finebone said, “however, given the unsavoury statements by some opportunistic individuals before and after the recent violence in the Khana and Gokana axis, especially the ongoing barrage of propaganda and blackmail ostensibly sponsored by the Rivers State Government against Senator Magnus Ngei Abe and other APC leaders in the area, it has become imperative for the APC to correct certain destructive narrative being bandied through the media to deceive the Ogonis, Rivers people and Nigerians.”

The APC noted that it has become pertinent to state that the violence that manifested in the past couple of days in Ogoni was planted, watered and nurtured by the incendiary remarks made by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike at the birthday ceremony of Senator Lee Maeba when he (the governor) asked the Ogonis to do everything possible to ensure that Senator Magnus Abe is stopped from winning the Rivers South-East Senatorial seat during the forthcoming rerun elections.

The statement reads: “The above statement set the stage for the unfolding debacle of violence that befell Bori earlier this week. Fired by the governor’s war cry, a group of cultists and hoodlums on the payroll of the PDP descended on Senator Magnus Abe’s campaign liaison building in Bori and razed it down.

Despite the huge loss, Senator Abe promptly appealed to his supporters to remain calm and not to seek revenge.

“The APC notes that while the decision by the Rivers State Security Council headed by Governor Nyesom Wike authorised and therefore was aware of the security operations in Ogoni to sanitise the area of criminals, the Rivers State Government has resorted to sponsoring persons and individuals to use the media to blackmail Senator Magnus Abe as the person responsible for the presence of the military in Ogoniland. The government is also vigorously blackmailing the

military by activating their stooges to occupy the airwaves condemning the military. The APC unequivocally condemns this sort of dishonest and despicable behaviour by officials of the Rivers State Government.

“Worse still, it appears that top officials of the State Government might have compromised the privileged information about the security operations by the Army, resulting in the escape of key suspects with PDP links and also exposing the military personnel to danger as they were reportedly ambushed by well-armed militants at the onset of the operation.

“The APC condemns the ongoing campaign of calumny against Senator Magnus Abe, Hon. Barry Mpigi and other leaders of APC in Ogoniland. We vehemently condemn the attempt by the Rivers State Government to use faceless persons to blackmail the APC by trying to weave and sell wrong narrative about the real security issues and circumstances in Ogoniland. We condemn any attempt by some individuals, no matter how highly placed, to use misguided youths to cause disaffection amongst the Ogonis with a view to rendering the people politically unviable and irrelevant. Who is afraid of a united Ogoni?”

•Photo shows Gov Wike.

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