Florence Uwaeme
The Rivers State government has accused the All Progressives Congress, APC gubernatorial campaign of peddling lies over the attack on the party’s campaign train in Opobo.
Chris Finebone, the Commissioner for Information, said APC leaders decided to confront the Rivers state Government by not complying with relevant laws that prescribe conditions for holding open rallies in government facilities.
Recall that the party’s campaign ground was attacked on Tuesday morning, leading to the destruction of canopies and chairs. Gunmen said to be loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP also abducted the local government’s campaign director of the campaign.
However, Finebone, in a statement, blamed the APC for the attack.
He said the behaviour is apparently in fulfilment of their repeated boast that they will disobey the laws of the state and nothing will happen.
“They neither applied nor paid the prescribed fees to hold their rally.
“When officials of the Local Government Council tried to stop them from using government facilities without permission, the APC members not only resisted but launched full-scale attacks on the officials, culminating in the violence that happened in Opobo town on Tuesday, something that had never happened before.
“Security agents cannot feign ignorance of APC leaders who masterminded that dastardly action in Opobo, and they must be arrested immediately and prosecuted accordingly.
“Same for the policemen on escort duty who lent themselves and their arms to what happened by shooting at innocent people.
“Let me repeat it that the APC leaders behind the fracas in Opobo must provide valid evidence that their party applied, got permission and paid the necessary fees to hold any rally on any government facility in Opobo on Tuesday morning before erecting their canopies and other requisites”.
