Rivers APC members shot as Buhari begins campaign

AT least, one person was feared killed and many
others seriously injured when armed youths shot
at vehicles conveying supporters of the All
Progressives Congress from Asari-Toru and Khana
Local Government Areas of Rivers State to the
inaugural presidential campaign of Maj. Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
The attacks were said to have occurred at the
same time (5.30am) as the party faithful made
their way to the Adokiye Amasiemaka Stadium in
Omagwa, Ikwerre Local Government Area.
It was learnt that nobody died in the attack by
armed youths said to be thugs working for the
Peoples Democratic Party along the Bori-
Saakpenwa Road in Bori, Khana LGA.
An eyewitness, who spoke with us on
telephone , accused a former militant leader of
being behind the attacks on the APC supporters.
The ex-militant is a member of the PDP from
Gokana LGA.
A source said five of the victims who were shot in
Bori were rushed to a hospital in Port Harcourt
where some bullets were extracted from their
bodies.
The APC Chairman in Ward Six, Khana LGA , Mr.
Doole Adoonam, said the APC supporters were in a
convoy of three buses when they ran into an
ambush by some gunmen.
He said, “Seven people from my ward are lying
critically ill in the hospital. They sustained gunshot
wounds from the early morning attack along Bori-
Saakpenwa Road.
“Those injured were APC faithful, who were on
their way to attend the commencement of the
campaign by the APC presidential candidate, in
Port Harcourt.
“On approaching the Mile 30 axis of Bori
Saakpenwa Road, some gunmen opened fire on
two of our buses, injuring some of my party men
and women. The attack was too spontaneous for
the drivers to beat a retreat.”
Explaining that it was God that spared the lives of
the APC supporters, Adoonam added, “Two of my
party faithful- a young lady and a young man- are
in very critically condition. As we speak, I pray
nothing happens to them.
“But we are not deterred by the action of some
hired marksmen. Ogoni know who they want and
our vote must count this time. We are not new to
arms struggle and they (gunmen) cannot intimidate
us.”
At the rally, Governor Rotimi Amaechi, accused the
Peoples Democratic Party of being responsible for
the attack on the APC supporters in Asari-Toru and
Khana LGAs.
He condemned the shooting of the APC supporters,
saying members of the PDP believed in guns while
their APC counterparts believed in God and man.
“The fact that they shot you, brings to the fore, the
argument we put forward that currently, the
government in power cannot protect you and I. If
the government could protect you and I, why were
we shot at? Who bought guns for those people
who shot at our members?
“When we came, we addressed insecurity. In the
past, we could not have had our rally here. We are
gradually going back to that. I hear today(Tuesday)
that members of the APC from Asari-Toru and
Khana (Ogoni) LGAs were shot at on their way to
this place.
“I thank God for this opportunity. I never knew I
would be governor today, I am governor by the
grace of God. I have stayed in office till 2015. By
this time last year, the men who thought they were
God, thought I would have been out of office.
“By this time last year, men had collected money
to remove us from office, but the God we worship
never allowed it to happen. Now, they are the
people struggling. We told them there will be this
time, when they will be looking for our votes.
“I want to thank all of you for accepting to make
me your governor. I may not have been the best
governor you have ever seen. I am not a perfect
man at all, because I am human.”
Amaechi, who explained that he never knew that
he would be the governor of Rivers State,
explained that those who wanted to remove him
from office were currently struggling politically.
Also, Buhari identified insecurity, poor economy
and corruption as the three major problems facing
the country and promised to tackle them should he
win next month’s election.
Lamenting that the level of corruption in the
country was intolerable, he said that the APC had
gathered competent hands to manage the
economy should he emerge the president of
Nigeria.
The former Head of State therefore urged Nigerians
to get their permanent voter cards, mobilise
themselves and ensure that the end justified the
means.
He said, “Let us make sure that our votes count.
The problem we are facing today is the problem of
security and economy. We have gathered
competent hands to manage the economy and
tackle insecurity.
“The level of corruption in Nigeria is intolerable and
we will make sure we succeed in fighting
corruption when we get there. I wish Nigerians the
best of luck and we believe in one indivisible
Nigeria.
“I appeal to you to mobilise yourselves to ensure
that the end justifies the means. I also urge you to
collect your PVC to enable you to vote in order to
bring in the change we have been talking about.”
He congratulated Amaechi for his ability to
mobilise the people of the state and Nigerians for
the task ahead.
Buhari said, “We congratulate the Governor of
Rivers State profusely for being the Director-
General of my presidential campaign organisation.
I thank you very much for accepting the
responsibility to work with our great party.
“Amaechi has made enormous sacrifice. He earned
it, he worked for it and I thank him for accepting it.
He got it through a lot of hard work. The way
Amaechi mobilises people shows that he is the
right choice.”
Some of the dignitaries on the presidential
campaign train were the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, the Governor of
Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola; his Ogun State
counterpart, Ibikunle Amosun; the National
Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; a
former FCT Minister, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, and an
ex- PDP National Chairman, Chief Audu Ogbeh.
Reacting to the incident in Asari-Toru Local
Government Area, the state Police Public Relations
Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad, said investigation
started immediately after complaint of attack on a
bus conveying some persons to Port Harcourt was
received.
However, the State Assistant Publicity Secretary of
the PDP, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, disagreed with
Amaechi that the party was behind the attack on
the APC supporters .
Nwanosike described the allegation as baseless,
adding that the governor should have allowed the
police to carry out their investigation before
making such an allegation.