Rivers Apc Raises Alarm Over Pdp’s Plot to Violently Disrupt May 23 Council Polls •Unveils list of candidates
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has been accused of plotting to use violent means to disrupt the
Local Government Council polls scheduled to hold throughout the State on Saturday, May 23, 2015. The State Chapter of
the All Progressives Congress (APC) raised the alarm via a statement issued Thursday morning in Port Harcourt by its
State Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya.
“We have it on good authority that, having failed in its efforts to stop the polls, including the ill-advised boycott of
this democratic exercise which has been eagerly embraced by 22 other political parties in the State, the leadership of
the State PDP has concluded plans to unleash mayhem on the State prior to and on Saturday, May 23, with a view to
violently disrupting the council polls. The idea behind the sinister plot is to discredit the polls and lay the blame on
APC, portraying the party as the one behind the insecurity in the State. It is also aimed to discredit Governor Chibuike
Rotimi Amaechi for going ahead with the constitutionally-approved Local Government elections which the State PDP is
desperate to sabotage after chickening out to avoid being disgraced by voters,” Dr. Ikanya said.
He disclosed that PDP political thugs imported by PDP leaders have already started arriving the State for the unholy
assignment. “As part of this satanic plot, an assassination attempt was carried out on May 19 against Victor Briggs, an
aide to Governor Amaechi, with his Police Escort killed in the process. It is very unfortunate that Rivers PDP should be
orchestrating more violence in the State after masterminding the death of over 100 APC supporters in the run-up to, and
during the ill-fated elections of March 28 and April 11,” Ikanya said.
The Rivers APC Chairman cried out to the law enforcement agencies for help, saying: “We wish to once again call on the
Police and other security agencies to be proactive this time and prevent the State PDP leadership from carrying out this
unprovoked attack against APC members. They should act promptly to forestall another orgy of violence by those who have
been threatening to cause mayhem in the Niger Delta region due to the ouster of President Goodluck Jonathan from office.
This premeditated violence if not nipped in the bud could further lead to a crisis that may negatively affect the
transition programme in the State.”
Dr. Ikanya however vowed that no amount of intimidation and evil machinations of PDP will stop the Saturday polls as the
party lacks the constitutional right to prevent an exercise designed to promote democracy at the grassroots level and
eagerly accepted by the majority of people of the State.
The APC State Chairman unveiled the official list of the 22 Chairmanship candidates that will fly the flag of APC during
the poll as follows:
1. HON. AUGUSTINE P. NGO for ABUA/ODUAL
2. MR. SULE ATAGO for AHOADA EAST
3. SAMUEL EYIBA for AHOADA WEST
4. BENIBO STANLEY for AKUKU-TORU
5. IMIE BENSON for ANDONI
6. FRED VINCENT FRED-HORSFALL for ASARI TORU
7. OMUSO G. ABBEY for BONNY
8. ELI SOGBEYE C. for DEGEMA
9. HON. FINEMAN OLUNGWE for ELEME
10. WORLU LUCKY C. for EMOHUA
11. BARR REGINALD UKWUOMA for ETCHE
12. BADOM DONATUS for GOKANA
13. CELESTINE AKPOBARI for KHANA
14. NNANTA GABRIEL WELI for OBIO/AKPOR
15. OLUO ANTHONY CHIDI for OMUMA
16. NATHANIEL IRINGERI for OGU/BOLO
17. JAJA LOVEDAY MICHAEL for OPOBO/NKORO
18. OPI NENGIAOMIE SAMUEL for OKRIKA
19. CHIEF KINGSLEY A. NWOGU for OYIGBO
20. HON. BESTMAN AMADI O.A for IKWERRE
21. CHIMBIKO ICHE AKAROLO for PHALGA
22. BARIZASI-JANE FELICIA NYAAGBO for TAI
Dr Ikanya counseled the successful candidates that are to fly the flag of the party in this poll to run issue based and
violence free campaigns as the party will not condone any act of violence in any form, “We have never been associated
with violence and we will never be associated with it no matter the level of provocation or temptation from our
opponents” the Chairman stated
Long Live APC!
Long Live Rivers State!!
Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze,
SSA Media and Public Affairs to the State Chairman, APC Rivers State.
ENDS