The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has expressed outrage
over the assassination attempt on the Director-General of the Nigerian
Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside,
the State APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, and the deputy
governorship candidate of the party in the April 2015 elections, Hon.
Asita O. Asita.
The trio narrowly escaped death on Sunday afternoon after Peterside’s
vehicle in which they were travelling from the Port Harcourt International
Airport was attacked by gunmen in two utility vehicles belonging to Emeka
Woke, Chief of Staff to Governor Nyesom Wike. They, however, survived by
making a quick detour to the nearby DSS office to seek refuge.
“This brazen attempt to snuff out the lives of three key leaders of
Rivers APC is outrageous, an affront and condemnable,” the party said in
a statement even as it thanked God for safeguarding Peterside, Ikanya and
Asita.
Rivers APC in a statement issued Monday in Port Harcourt held Governor
Wike responsible for the assassination attempt, calling on relevant
security agencies to quickly arrest and interrogate him and to hasten to
bring the full weight of the law on all those involved in the dastardly
act. The party said: “We have often cried out about Wike’s
bloodthirstiness but, unfortunately, nothing was done to keep him in
check. Before last weekend’s State and National Assembly rerun elections
in the State, we had openly cried out following Wike’s open threats on
the lives of President Muhammadu Buhari, Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen.
Tukur Buratai, and Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi
Amaechi. Those who thought we were shouting wolf where one does not exist
now know better.
“On the day of the rerun election, 19th March, 2016 the strategy of Chief
Wike dressing his gang of killers in police and military uniforms was
duly exposed when his Special Assistant on Special Projects, Mr. Cyril
Dum Wite, was caught with N40 million, arms, police and army uniforms in
his car. We were not surprised because to install Wike as a Governor, 100
APC members had to be sent to their early graves. In the countdown to the
rerun elections, an army major and two soldiers, as well as an
Immigration Officer, were killed in Wike’s desperation to install his
stooges as members of National and State Assemblies. Also, an APC
chieftain was beheaded with his wife and his son killed. Another APC
chieftain was buried alive while yet another was burnt alive.
“Now that Chief Wike has fully crossed the line by attempting to snuff
out the lives of our leaders in broad daylight, we call on the relevant
security agencies to move in quickly to interrogate him and to bring the
full weight of the law on his killer gang. Wike is being emboldened by
the immunity he enjoys as Governor but he does not enjoy immunity from
interrogation for murder-related crimes.”
Rivers APC lamented that Wike in only ten months in office is fast
turning Rivers State into another Somalia. “He is attempting to dwarf
other evil and satanic regimes such as those of Mobutu Sese Seko, Emperor
Jean Bedel Bokassa and Idi Amin Dada known for displaying optimum
barbarism. Wike now hunts his opponents like a game, with many beheaded,
clubbed to death or buried alive like chicken. All these have further
exposed Wike as being grossly unfit to occupy the exalted office of
Governor. We hereby plead with the Federal Government to rescue us from
Wike’s hands before he turns Rivers into a failed State,” the party said.
Finally, let us reiterate unequivocally that what we had during the rerun
election was a sham, charade where PDP hoodlums had a free day
intimidating voters to vote only PDP candidates or get killed with the
Police looking the other way in order to secure their lives. We urge
Nigerians to rise and condemn this act of wikeism where only blood is the
only means to win elections.
For any meaningful election to be held in Rivers State or any part of
Niger Delta, the President Buhari Federal Govt must completely dismantle
the present police force and assembly a modern police force that will
guarantee and protect the citizens of this country. Apart from this, all
the militias in Niger Delta must also be dismantled and demobilized so
that the region can breathe. The region is chocked up with armed gangs.
These gangs have killed economic activities in the region thereby
depriving the region of needed investment and employment. While the self
destruction goes on, businesses move to the South west. The present way
of playing politics in Rivers state and Nigerdelta in general must stop.
The Rivers election is a big sore and a national shame.