The Rivers State Police Command on Tuesday summoned the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, for questioning in connection with the death of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporter.
WITHIN NIGERIA reports that a PDP supporter was shot on Monday during a protest at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office along Aba Road, demanding a joint inspection of documents used in the March 18 governorship election, but the protest turned violent.
Cole arrived at the GRA junction area of Aba Road on Monday, accompanied by the state APC Chairman, Emeka Beke, and a few other party leaders, to proceed to the INEC office to keep a date with the commission’s promise to inspect the Certified True Copy documents to enable the party to proceed to the tribunal.
When the protesters learned that Cole was nearby, they rushed to his location and pelted him with pure water sachets and stones; if it hadn’t been for his security detail, he would have been mobbed.
This resulted in a clash between Cole’s security men and the rioting youths, with security operatives firing indiscriminately to disperse the crowd.
The injured PDP supporter was rushed to the hospital for treatment after he bled profusely on his left leg.
However, Sydney Gbara, the PDP’s State Publicity Secretary, told Punch that the injured man died in the hospital.
Meanwhile, it was reported that a formal letter inviting Cole was sent to the APC’s state secretariat.
Darlington Nwauju, the State APC Publicity Secretary, who confirmed that Cole had been summoned for questioning, questioned why the police had not summoned the PDP leaders named in the attack on its governorship candidate, Cole.
It is shocking that the police are inviting our candidate, Cole, for questioning over a said killing. What is the identity of the person killed?
They attacked and chased us away. They are now inviting him (Cole) for questioning. How? Does it add up? he queried.