Vehicles
conveying supporters of the All Progressives Congress from Asari-Toru and Khana
Local Government Areas of Rivers State to the inaugural presidential campaign
of Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday were shot at by armed youth.
The APC Chairman in Ward
Six, Khana LGA , Mr. Doole Adoonam, said the APC supporters were in
a convoy of three buses when they ran into an ambush by some gunmen.
He said, “Seven people from my ward are lying
critically ill in the hospital. They sustained gunshot wounds from
the early morning attack along Bori-Saakpenwa Road.
“Those injured were APC faithful, who were on
their way to attend the commencement of the campaign by the APC
presidential candidate, in Port Harcourt.
“On approaching the Mile 30 axis of Bori
Saakpenwa Road, some gunmen opened fire on two of our buses, injuring some of
my party men and women. The attack was too spontaneous for the drivers to beat
a retreat.”
“But we are not deterred by the action of some
hired marksmen. Ogoni know who they want and our vote must count this time. We
are not new to arms struggle and they (gunmen) cannot intimidate us.”
Governor
Rotimi Amaechi has condemned the shooting of the APC supporters,
saying members of the PDP believed in guns while their APC
counterparts believed in God and man.
“The fact that they shot you, brings to the
fore, the argument we put forward that currently, the government in power
cannot protect you and I. If the government could protect you and I, why were
we shot at? Who bought guns for those people who shot at our members?
“When
we came, we addressed insecurity. In the past, we could not have had our rally
here. We are gradually going back to that. I hear today(Tuesday) that members
of the APC from Asari-Toru and Khana (Ogoni) LGAs were shot at on
their way to this place.
“I
thank God for this opportunity. I never knew I would be governor today, I am
governor by the grace of God. I have stayed in office till 2015. By this time
last year, the men who thought they were God, thought I would have been out of
office.
“By this time last year, men had collected
money to remove us from office, but the God we worship never allowed it to
happen. Now, they are the people struggling. We told them there will be this
time, when they will be looking for our votes.
“I
want to thank all of you for accepting to make me your governor. I
may not have been the best governor you have ever seen. I am not a perfect man
at all, because I am human.”
Amaechi, who explained that he never knew that
he would be the governor of Rivers State, explained that those who wanted to
remove him from office were currently struggling politically.
General
Muhammadu Buhari identified insecurity, poor economy and corruption as the
three major problems facing the country and promised to tackle them should he
win next month’s election.
Lamenting ,he said, “Let us make sure
that our votes count. The problem we are facing today is the problem of security
and economy. We have gathered competent hands to manage the economy and tackle
insecurity.
“The level of corruption in Nigeria is
intolerable and we will make sure we succeed in fighting corruption when we get
there. I wish Nigerians the best of luck and we believe in one indivisible
Nigeria.
“I appeal to you to mobilise yourselves to
ensure that the end justifies the means. I also urge you to collect your PVC to
enable you to vote in order to bring in the change we have been talking about.”
He congratulated Amaechi for his
ability to mobilise the people of the state and Nigerians for the task ahead.
Buhari said, “We congratulate the Governor of
Rivers State profusely for being the Director-General of my presidential
campaign organisation. I thank you very much for accepting the responsibility
to work with our great the party.
“Amaechi has made enormous sacrifice. He
earned it, he worked for it and I thank him for accepting it. He got it through
a lot of hard work. The way Amaechi mobilises people shows that he is the right
choice.”
Source: The PUNCH
