The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has raised the alarm over what it called “the invasion of some communities in Tai Local Government Area of the state by the combined forces of the army, police and scores of identifiable thugs imported by the All Progressives Congress (APC)” as the rerun parliamentary polls got underway across the state this morning.

A statement by the State PDP Chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah, signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jerry Needam, said over 200 innocent citizens have been arrested while scores were shot at and one killed by the army sponsored by Mr. Barry Mpigi, candidate of the APC for Tai/Eleme/Oyigbo Federal Constituency.

News Express reports that there was no independent confirmation of the claims.

Obuah noted that Mr. Mpigi was also indicted by the Judicial Panel of Inquiry over the killing of an innocent woman during the aborted Re-run in Tai. He said the people of Tai are demanding that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) comply with the judgment of the Federal High Court which ordered fresh election in Tai.

Obuah alleged that in Barako, Gokana LGA, soldiers invaded the community on the orders of the Senatorial candidate of the APC for Rivers South East, Mr. Magnus Abe, and whisked away scores of persons including one Chief Awindi Dughor, a chieftain of the PDP, to an unknown destination.

He described the situation as disturbing and lamented “the open collaboration of the police and army officers with the APC.”

His words: “APC members are openly directing the army and the police on what to do and who to arrest. While police officers attached to the CTC Chairmen and other chieftains of the PDP have all been withdrawn, APC members are going about with dozens of SARS men and other conventional police officers including men of the Nigerian Army.”

The State PDP Chairman said he has been reliably informed that “there are plans by the APC to use these officers attached to them to snatch result sheets.”

“In view of these disturbing developments, the PDP called on the Inspector-General of Police, who had openly confessed to be apolitical, to save Rivers people and restore the credibility of the election by ordering his men to desist from this embarrassing situation, which has never happened in the history of elections in Nigeria,” Obuah said.

He also called on the army authorities “to wade in before a generation of Rivers people are wiped away.”

While further condemning “the sad and barbaric killings and arrests,” the Rivers PDP Chairman called on the media, international community and all civil society organisations to come to the rescue of the party.”

•Photo shows Obuah.

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