Shooting, violence, erupt on eve of ward Congress
Abe cries foul as court restrains party from conducting congresses
Admin l Friday, May 04, 2018
PORT HARCOURT, Rivers, Nigeria – Shooting and violence erupted at the Rivers State secretariat, along Forces Avenue, GRA Phase 2, on Friday, at the headquarters of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, over the whereabouts of electoral materials to be used in the conduct of the party’s ward congress, on Saturday, May 5.
According to an eye witnesses, mostly supporters of Senator Magnus Abe, who arrived at the secretariat as early as 6am could not inspect the materials as live bullets were fired by some security personnel to disperse aggrieved members of the party who were vexed that forms for elective offices were not available after they had made valid payments. There were widespread allegations that the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, had diverted the electoral materials to the operational premises of Intels, a port servicing company belonging to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, at Onne, in Eleme Local Government Area.
As at 7pm on Friday, no member of the State Executive Council, SEC, of the APC in Rivers State was at the secretariat. Windows, doors, televisions amongst others at the secretariat were chattered by irate members of the party who felt short-changed by some leaders of the SEC. Senator Abe who briefed the press at about 4.30pm, on Friday, regretted that some leaders of the party were working frenetically to truncate the ward congresses for their selfish interest.
“The leaders of the South South met at the residence of the minister of transportation, who is the leader of the party in the South South zone, at Abuja, and agreed to address issues concerning the ward congresses.”
“He excused himself in the course of the meeting to attend to other matters of state. The Chairman of the South South congresses, Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, assured us that all issues concerning the congresses will be addressed on Thursday and Friday when all stakeholders are expected to meet in their states.”
Senator Abe lamented: “Up till now, the meeting of party leaders has not held in Rivers State. We have not seen any member of the SEC. All we are hearing is that electoral materials have been taken to Intel’s. Intel’s is not the secretariat of the APC in Rivers State.”
“Our worry is that some leaders of the party deliberately wants to obstruct the ward, local governments and state congresses in the state. We are appealing to the national leadership of the party to do what is right to ensure a free, fair, peaceful and credible congresses in Rivers State.”
At about 5.pm, some lawyers arrived at Senator Abe’s campaign office, Freedom House, from the court with court papers which they claimed was an injunction from the court, restraining the party from going ahead with the ward Congress on Saturday, May 5.The lawyers refused to give copies of the injunction to the media, insisting that they wanted to serve the respondents before circulating the documents to Journalists.
