Amaechi, Sekibo disagree over attacks on campaign trains

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and the governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Dr. Abiye Sekibo yesterday disagreed over attacks on campaign trains.

Amaechi is the standard bearer of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Sekibo is a former Transport Minister and an-ex Secretary to the Rivers State Government during the administration of Dr. Peter Odili.

Sekibo, who spoke through the Director of Publicity and Communications of his campaign organisation, Mr. Jerry Needam, accused Amaechi’s loyalists of attacking his campaign trains at Tai and Obio/Akpor local government areas.

Amaechi, in a swift reaction, through his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. David Iyofor, described the allegations as lies.

The governor said: “It is not true. The ACN’s Tai LGA’s rally is ongoing . Barry Mpigi who was accused of disrupting the rally at Tai LGA is actually in Port Harcourt. Chief Nyesom Wike did not order the disruption of ACN’s Obio/Akpor rally on Monday.

“The allegations are ACN’s fabrications, lies and part of the smear campaigns against the performing and focused governor of Rivers state, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, because they have nothing to offer the people of the state.”

Sekibo said: “The number of calculated thuggery and political attacks meted out to the campaign trains of the ACN at various levels across Rivers State by the ruling PDP has, to say the least, become worrisome.

“The incident on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at Tai LGA was one violence too many, as PDP thugs led by Barry Mpigi, the party’s House of Representatives candidate for the Eleme/Tai Federal Constituency, attacked Dr. Abiye Sekibo campaign train.

“The thugs disrupted ACN’s rally in Tai, destroyed canopies, chairs, tables and other valuables put in place for the campaign. They also inflicted injuries on many members of the campaign train and party supporters, who turned up to grace the occasion, stripping about 10 female supporters after beating them.

“The Abiye Sekibo Campaign Organisation (ASCO) views this development with seriousness and accuses Governor Rotimi Amaechi and his cohorts who want to remain in power by all means, of being directly behind the deliberate attacks.

“The ACN’s campaign train was also attacked in Obio/Akpor LGA on Monday, March 21, 2011 by PDP thugs, led by the Chief of Staff, Rivers State Government House, Chief Nyesom Wike and the Obio/Akpor Local Government Chairman, Prince Timothy Nsirim.

“The thugs also disrupted ACN’s rally for the day and prevented the party from using the Rumueme Playground, a venue it received approval for one full week before the rally, given which incident the party gladly accepted the magnanimity of Chief Omunakwe Nsirim, Apiti of Rumueme, who volunteered his palace for the rally free of charge.”

The ACN’s governorship candidate called on security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be aware of the political attacks.

Sekibo added that many weeks after the closure of his campaign headquarters at the Government Reservation Area (GRA), Port Harcourt, the one storey building is yet to be reopened.