The All Progressives Congress, APC’s candidate for governor in Rivers, Mr. Tonye Cole, has come under fire from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for urging the federal government to declare a state of emergency in the State due to escalating political violence.
Cole made the call in response to recent alleged bomb attacks at the APC’s campaign headquarters in Port Harcourt and similar attacks at the Rivers-based campaign locations of other opposition parties.
In the run-up to the upcoming election, the APC and other opposition parties have accused Rivers State government officials of being responsible for the attack and the state’s rising political violence.
However, the PDP and Rivers State Government had repeatedly denied the accusation.
But the PDP, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, described the call by Cole, as uncharitable and a reflection of has shown how unprepared the APC is to face the people of the state in the campaign for the forthcoming election.
PDP, in the statement signed by its Director of Publicity and Communications, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, said contrary to postulations by Cole, Rivers State is peaceful and safe as Governor Nyesom Wike is committed to protection of lives and property of the people.
“Patiently, we have waited to see if the gubernatorial candidate of the APC in Rivers State, Mr. Tonye Cole will eminently dissociate himself from media reports associating him with calls for the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
“Since no official statement distancing Mr. Cole from the rather bizarre, reckless and hasty call in the media has been issued, our assumption is that he actually uttered those rather worrisome and unfortunate words”.
It further noted that there are states in the Northeast as well as the Southeast where public safety and public security are threatened on a massive scale, yet there has been no call for the declaration of state of emergency in those these places.
PDP accused Tonye Cole and the APC of planning to stall elections in Rivers State by engaging in lawless acts and undermining order.
“In calling for a state of emergency in Rivers State, Cole, a dual citizen who has lost track of how reality works; is simply saying Rivers’ people should be disallowed from voting.
“This means that several years after Cole’s bosom friend, Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi shutdown the courts in Rivers State, the APC is determined this time to prevent Rivers’ voters from choosing their leaders.
“This attempt by Cole to shutdown Rivers’ voters shows how insensitive and desperate he and his backers have become. It simply proves that he does not understand what it takes to lead a state as complex and critical as Rivers State.
“While we condemn attempts to create problems where they do not exist, we, urge, Cole and others like him to prepare for elections instead of laying needless booby traps.”
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