The Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Rivers State, Sen. Magnus Abe has expressed displeasure over alleged incessant attacks on members of his party.
Sen. Abe who lamented the ugly situation to newsmen on Monday, October 14, 2022 in Port Harcourt said there have been series of attacks against the SDP in the State but have refused to join forces with the lawless and act irresponsibly.
The furious Abe accused the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party of being the mastermind of the latest attack on his campaign team, October 14, on their way to Egberu in Oyigbo which according to him made the party to suspend their planned meeting due to the blockage of the road and threat to their lives.
Sen. Abe said the SDP in Oyigbo Local Government Area were to hold a stakeholders’ meeting which he indicated his intention to attend in order to encourage his supporters.
“The meeting was to hold in a hall in Ayama, when they heard over the radio that we are to hold a meeting there, early hours of the morning, thugs broke into the hall, scattered everything and locked up the place, even though pre-approval for the facility had been given by the Chiefs and Elders of the community.
“And the meeting was taken to a private compound of one of our supporters and I left Port Harcourt to attend the meeting but we got to Egberu, the border into Oyibo was blocked by thugs armed with knives and guns.
Recounting some of the ugly incidents that played out at Tai, Gokana, Khana, Ahoad West and Ahoada East local government areas of the State, Senator Abe reiterated that it was high time he let Nigerians know of what was going on in Rivers State, saying that at the initial time he kept it to himself because he never wanted Rivers State to make the headlines for wrong reasons but over the past few weeks the attacks on them had continued to escalate.
According to him, Democray is not an event but a process, a way of living, an acceptance of the basic human freedoms and rights, stressing that one of the freedoms and rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria is freedom to associate and to move around the country freely without let or hindrances or molestation by anybody and assured Rivers people of their freedom when elected into office.
Senator Abe cautioned all political parties and party loyalists against political thuggery, adding that their actions are capable of jeopardizing the peace of Rivers State, while urging them to have a rethink over their actions as he would no longer fold his hands to see his party being frustrated.
He called on the security agencies to wade into the matter and ensure that those involved in the attacks were apprehended and brought to book.
