The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) last night cried out to the Police and the Department of State Security (DSS), appealing for urgent protection in the face of increasing attacks on its members and offices by hoodlums which the party alleges to be working for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

“As a law-abiding party, we are determined to continue to resist the temptation to take the laws into our hands, hence we are passionately appealing to the State Police Command and DSS Directorate to urgently come to our rescue, as the rate of attacks is becoming frightening,” Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said in a statement issued in Port Harcourt.

He lamented that APC in the state has come under attack allegedly by PDP-sponsored political thugs on four different occasions in less than a week.

According to Ikanya, “The first of these dastardly attacks was witnessed last Wednesday when gunmen allegedly hired by PDP leaders opened fire on APC supporters from Asari Toru and Khana local governments on their way to Port Harcourt for the APC Presidential Campaign Flag-off, leaving eight of them in critical condition and battling for their dear lives at the intensive care unit of the Kesley Harrison Hospital, Port Harcourt. Last weekend, precisely on Saturday, the Okirika LGA Secretariat of APC was bombed by the PDP hoodlums, while last night all the key APC actors in Obio-Akpor, the Local Government with the highest number of voters in Nigeria, were viciously attacked, with some of them being maimed.”

He noted that “while the desperation of Rivers PDP is understandable since the party has been overwhelmingly rejected by the people of the State, PDP and its members should realise that election is not war but a democratic way of choosing the people’s leaders.”

The Party Chairman commended APC members in the state for restraining themselves from retaliating the attacks and appealed to them to continue to give peace a chance. He also commended Chief Tony Okocha, former Chief of Staff to Governor Chibuike Amaechi, who is the political leader of APC in Obio-Akpor and Federal House of Representatives flag-bearer of the party in the area, for leading other APC grassroots leaders such as Dr. Lawrence Chukwu, the CTC Chairman; Chief Ike Chinwo; Solomon Ikewuru; Hon. Corlins Ordu; Hon. Freddy Ichegbo; Chief William Ubeka and thousands of APC faithful to the Police Commissioner and State Director of DSS early yesterday to formally protest the continued brutalisation of APC faithful by the political thugs.

“We are happy for the assurances given to Chief Okocha and the other protesters by the State Police Commissioner and Deputy Director of Operations of DSS. We challenge them to live up to their promise by investigating these increasing attacks against APC members and structures and bring the perpetrators to book without further delay while also extending the requested protection to us,” Dr. Ikanya said.

•Photo shows a cross section of Obio-Akpor Rivers APC members protesting yesterday in at the State Police Headquarters in Port Harcourt.

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