Atiku’s campaign DG escapes attack in Rivers

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expelled former Governor of Enugu State, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, son of former Ekiti State governor, Fayose Oluwajomiloju John, and three others for alleged anti-party activities.

The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) at its 566th meeting, which held at its national secretariat yesterday, announced that it has approved the expulsion of the following individuals from the party for anti-party activities and other grave offences in violation of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017).

Those expelled in addition to Nnamani and Fayose from the party include Hon. Chris Ogbu (Imo State); Ajijola Lateef Oladimeji (Ekiti Central); Olayinka James Olalere (Ekiti Central II); Akerele Oluyinka (Ekiti North I) and
Emiola Adenike Jennifer (Ekiti South II).

In a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the expulsion took effect from Friday, February 10, 2023.

According to the statement, the decision of the NWC is sequel to the recommendation of the National Disciplinary Committee and pursuant to Sections 58 and 59 (1)(g) of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017).

The PDP charged all its members across the country to remain united and focused on its mission to rescue, rebuild and redirect our nation from misrule.

Meanwhile, Director General (DG) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) in Rivers State, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, yesterday, escaped assassination in the state.

The Guardian learnt that gunmen dressed in police camouflage uniform opened fire on him at the proposed venue for the presidential campaign rally of the PDP standard bearer, Atiku Abubakar, at Rainbow area of Trans-Amadi, Port Harcourt, shattering his Land Cruiser model of Toyota jeep with bullets.

The remains of vehicle, which have gone viral on the social media, showed that a front tyre of the vehicle and the back seat window glasses were riddled in bullet holes.

Sekibo in a media briefing said the incident happened between 11:30 pm and 12 mid-night, accusing the perpetrators to be security details from Governor, Nyesom Wike of Rivers.

He said, “At about 11:30 pm to 12 midnight, I received a call, and the caller said, the equipment at the site that was being prepared for the PDP presidential rally were on fire.

“I decided to go there and see for myself. I left my house with three policemen. The location is Rainbow Town by Amadi-ama; as we approached the site, we saw a line up of police hilux vehicles on the right side of the road and the policemen were looking at the fire.
“As we got close, and about to tell my driver to stop so I can talk to them, they opened fire on my vehicle. I quickly told my driver to keep going and not stop again. We were shot from all sides as we were escaping.
“As they were firing bullets at us, I looked at the hilux vehicles, they were police hilux vehicles attached to the Governor of Rivers State.
“They shot one of our front tyres, it became difficult for us to move, I had to ask the driver to clear by a filling station at Trans-Amadi and he cleared inside the petrol station, while we were there tying to figure out what happened and how to leave the area, behold the five hilux vehicles drove passed us, heading the direction of Ada-George.”

The former Minister of Transport regretted that the police are now being used to carry out attacks on innocent citizens of the state, stressing that Wike is turning the place into a lawless state.

He called on the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba and President Muhammadu Buhari to call Wike to order, insisting that no amount of attack or intimidation will deter Atiku’s supporters in the state.
He said, “This is what our state has been reduced to, the site was being prepared. The governor, who said he was giving us the stadium to use, cannot stand it. He sent policemen attached to him to go and destroy equipment clearing the place.

“As we speak now, he has barricaded the place with Government House police, to ensure that media men did not get to the venue to video, or record the burnt equipment.
“He has used police, not the regular police but police attached to the state governor to barricade the place. Wike wants anarchy in Rivers, he and his supporters have attacked members of Atiku Abubakar in the state over and over. We have been complaining to the law enforcement agencies, we have written to the police; we have done everything we can.
“This time around, it is no longer thugs that did this, it is police attached to the Governor, going out at night to destroy equipment that were working at the site to ensure that Atiku/Okowa presidential campaign rally never held in the state.”

He appealed to Atiku supporters in the state to remain firm in the face of the unprovoked attacks, assuring that it would soon phase out.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command has confirmed attack on Atiku’s Campaign Director General, Dr. Abiye Sekibo.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, reads: “There was a distress call to the control room at about 2am on Friday, February 10, 2023, that Sekibo was attacked by suspected thugs along Intel in the Rainbow axis of Port-Harcourt.
“On the basis of the call, six patrol teams were immediately mobilised to the scene. By the time the team arrived, the suspected thugs had fled. Nonetheless, the team remained to forestall further destruction. However, normalcy has returned and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police has ordered investigation into the incident.”