Politics

Thugs Attack APC Campaigners In Rivers

Published

2 years ago

January 31, 2023

Editor

Tension is rising among opposition political parties in Rivers State following repeated attacks on their campaign rallies as the 2023 general election draws closer.

Recall that report had it that the campaign train of the Social Democratic Party governorship candidate in the state, Magnus Abe, was attacked with sporadic shooting by suspected political thugs in Ahoada West LGA.

Similarly, the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in the state, Tonye Cole’s campaign train was attacked in Opobo town, Opobo/Nkoro LGA on Tuesday, with a member of the party kidnapped and later released.

This was as three members of the APC on a door-to-door campaign in Omuma LGA were inflicted with machete cuts amidst alleged threats that the party would not be allowed to carry out its scheduled campaign rally in the area.

Speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the leader of the APC in Omuma LGA, Onyekachi Ojiegbe, stated that the LGA was not safe for them following activities of armed political thugs.

Ojiegbe disclosed that the party had written about 17 different petitions to the state Commissioner of Police, Okon Effiong, and the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investment Department, but that they had yet to get any response.

He appealed to the Inspector-General of Police to set up a Special Crack Team and deploy them to the Omuma LGA in Rivers State and the state in general before the elections.

The Omuma APC leader warned that if this appeal was not heeded, there might be a total breakdown of law and order in the area.

He stated, “Omuma is unsafe. Since two years now we have been living in fear. We have written to the Commissioner of Police and DC, State CID. We have written over 17 petitions and they have been unattended to.

“Recently, our governorship candidate was ambushed and attacked in this LGA. The matter was reported to the police and arrests were made and we went to court. As we speak, the matter is dead. Last Saturday, our members went for door-to-door campaign, they were attacked with machete. Three of them are still hospitalised because they sustained serious injuries.”

Continuing, Ojiegbe said, “We are afraid. We don’t know what will happen next. We are having a mega campaign on the 6th of February, 2023. I have received several calls that the campaign will not hold. I am calling on the IGP and the Director, Department of State Services, to come to our aide because the place is not safe.

“We are also appealing to the general public to urge the IGP to set up an independent crack team to be in Omuma. If this is done, these people causing insecurity will be arrested. It looks as if the CP in Rivers State is paying deaf ears to our cries and to what is happening in the state.”

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command said it launched an investigation into the attack on the governorship candidate of the SDP, Abe, on Monday.

The spokesperson for the command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, however, described the incident as a pre-rally attack.

She stated that immediately the command was alerted of the attack, it deployed the tactical teams and normalcy was restored.

The statement partly read, “There was a pre-rally attack by unknown armed men on the campaign convoy of Senator Magnus Abe, while on his way to attend a rally at Akinima in Ahoada West Local Government Area. Security personnel attached to him were able to rebuff the attack.

“Upon receipt of the information, tactical teams were immediately deployed to the area to reinforce the personnel earlier posted to provide security at the campaign venue. The teams were able to restore peace and normalcy in the area, paving way for a successful rally.”

But a chieftain of the SDP disagreed with the police, saying that the rally was aborted following the shooting by hired thugs allegedly working for the PDP.
PUNCH

Politics

2027: Drama As Two ‘ADA’ Emerge In INEC’s List Of 110 Party Registration Bids

Published

5 hours ago

June 26, 2025

Editor

Two political associations seeking registration as political parties have submitted identical acronyms to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

According to Vanguard, the first is the All Democratic Alliance, ADA, being promoted by Chief Akin Ricketts and said to be one of the special purpose vehicles that the anti-Tinubu coalition is seeking to use as a platform in the 2027 general election.

While the Ricketts ADA is 109 on the INEC list, the other ADA, Advanced Democratic Alliance, is 110, the last one the list unveiled by the electoral umpire.

This second ADA has Alhaji Ahmadu Suleiman as Protem Chairman and Zipporah Pius Miracles as Secretary.

The Ricketts ADA has its national headquarters at Ground Floor, UAC Complex, Plot 273 Samuel Adesujo Ademulegun Street, CBD, Abuja, FCT.

Suleiman’s ADA has its national headquarters at 1 Frandriance Close, Off Oda Crescent, Off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja.

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, no fewer than 110 political associations have written to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, seeking registration as political parties.

Politics

Damagum Is PDP’s Problem – Ex-Benue Gov Suswam

Published

15 hours ago

June 25, 2025

Editor

Former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, on Wednesday declared that the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Umar Damagum, is the problem of the party.

Suswam, who insisted that Damagum is not a leader, said the party has been drifting downwards since he assumed the role of acting National Chairman.

Featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the former governor said, “There is no integrity in the leadership of PDP, I’m happy that Wike said it.

Politics

Confusion In PDP As NWC Counters Damagum, Rejects Anyanwu’s Reinstatement

Published

17 hours ago

June 25, 2025

Editor

The National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has dismissed claims that the party’s 100th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for Monday, June 30, 2025, has been postponed.

A statement signed by key members of the NWC on Wednesday also denied reports that Samuel Anyanwu has been reinstated as the party’s National Secretary.

The NWC said the statement comes in response to a press briefing earlier in the day by the Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum.

DAILY POST reports that Damagum had announced the postponement of the NEC meeting and said Anyanwu is to resume as National Secretary.

Rejecting Damagum’s declarations, the NWC said his pronouncements were contrary to the resolution of the 99th NEC meeting, which scheduled the next NEC session for June 30 and referred all matters concerning the National Secretary’s office to that meeting.

“The pronouncements by the Acting National Chairman have no foundation as no organ of the Party (including the NWC), individual or group has the power to cancel, overrule, veto or vary the resolution of the National Executive Committee (NEC),” the statement read.

Citing Section 31 (3) of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017), the NWC emphasized that NEC is the highest decision-making organ of the party after the National Convention and that its resolutions are binding on all members and organs of the party.

The NWC described the announcement regarding Anyanwu’s resumption as “misleading” and reaffirmed that the matter remains under the jurisdiction of the forthcoming NEC meeting.

The statement was jointly signed by Deputy National Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, Acting National Secretary, Setonji Koshoedo, National Treasurer, Ahmed Yayari Mohammed, National Auditor, Okechukwu Obiechina Daniel, and National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, among others.