Rivers APC slams police for invitation to Tonye Cole over death of protester

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday denounced the assault that took place on Monday against Tonye Cole, the party’s candidate for governor of Rivers, and a few other APC leaders.

This was as they traveled to the INEC’s office to check out the certified true copy of the election documents in advance of their appearance before the election petition tribunal.

The same day, some PDP supporters chose to demonstrate outside the INEC office, calling for a joint examination of the election-related papers used on March 18.

The demonstrators reportedly rushed in Cole’s direction after learning he was nearby and attacked him with stones and “clean water” sachets.

The APC governorship candidate may have been attacked by a mob if not for his security team, who protected him.

One of the warring groups is said to have been killed in the crossfire as what began as a peaceful protest became into and bloody.

The victim was later identified as a PDP member, and Cole was invited by the Rivers State Police Command to appear and discuss his role in the violence that resulted in the victim’s death.

In response on Wednesday, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, in a statement released in Abuja and denounced the attack, saying such barbaric crimes had no place in a democracy.

Read also:Tonye Cole claims PDP thugs attacked him at INEC Office

While describing it as a premeditated confrontation by PDP thugs, Morka called on the police to carry out a thorough investigation, which he said was a ploy to frustrate Cole and discourage him from seeking justice at the election petition tribunal.

He said, “This barbaric and unprovoked attack occurred during a visit to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s office by Mr Tonye Cole, APC Governorship Candidate, Dr. Innocent Barikor, deputy governorship candidate, Mr. Emeka Beke, state chairman of the party and three other party officials to obtain the Certified True Copies of vital documents in the March 18 governorship and House of Assembly elections. Without warning, thugs and supporters of the PDP descended on our party officials, inflicting severe and life-threatening injuries on them, and damaging personal and party properties.

“This premeditated attack by PDP thugs and operatives on our officials and members in Port Harcourt is yet another in what has now become an orgy of violence carried out with mind-boggling audacity, and with absolutely no serious investigation by the police or repercussions for the instigators and perpetrators of this serial violence.

“Ostensibly, this latest attack was aimed at frustrating the effort of our Governorship Candidate to obtain vital documents to exercise his constitutional right to challenge the declared result of the Governorship election in the state. For the PDP that claims to have won the election to resort to this level of violence to block a legitimate legal challenge tells a different story of a party sitting precariously on needles and pins in the face of prospects of a legal challenge by our governorship candidate.

“While we commend the swift response of security agencies, especially the Police and the Nigerian Army in restoring peace and order in the wake of this brutal attack, again, we call on the Inspector General of Police to order an urgent and thorough investigation into this and previous incidents of violent attacks on leaders and members of our party in Rivers state, and to bring the sponsors and perpetrators to justice.”

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