Buhari, Amaechi Visit Injured APC Members in Hospital

General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), and Governor Chiboke Amaechi

  •Ask Jonathan to call PDP to order  

• PDP denies involvement in shooting of APC supporters

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), on Wednesday visited the Kesley Harrison Hospital in Port Harcourt to commiserate with seven members of the party who were allegedly shot by people suspected to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While Buhari and River State  Governor, Chiboke Amaechi, called on President Goodluck Jonathan to prevail on his party to eschew violence in the run-up to the elections, the PDP has denied involvement in the shooting of the APC supporters.

The injured APC members were reportedly attacked at three different locations in the state by unknown gunmen while on their way to attend the flag-off of the party’s presidential campaign rally, held at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Igwurita-Ali, near Port Harcourt.

Buhari, was accompanied on the sympathy visit by Amaechi, the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Mr. Dakuku Peterside, among others.

Addressing journalists shortly after the visit, Amaechi, who is also the Director-General of the Buhari Presidential Campaign Organisation, appealed to Jonathan to call on supporters and members of his party, the PDP, not to unleash violence on APC supporters in the state and across the country.

He called on Jonathan and the PDP to condemn the attack and take necessary steps to stop their members from acts of violence.

He said: “We as APC members are the people the people expect to be violence, yet, we are a peaceful party. Imagine the president goes for campaign in Katsina State or in Kano State, and his convoy is attacked, we will condemn it. In the same manner, we expect the president and the PDP to condemn these attacks by their members and we expect that they should be able to hold back their members.

“The president promised us a violence-free election and our people are already experiencing violence. We are saying if the government fails to provide security for individuals, individuals will provide security for themselves, and I pray that people don’t begin to provide security for themselves; I pray that the state should provide security. The fact that people are being attacked here and there is an indication that the PDP is not prepared for a fair and violence-free election.”

The APC governorship candidate in the state, Peterside, also condemned the attack, describing it as unwarranted.

He said: “You are aware that yesterday (Tuesday), we had a presidential rally in Port Harcourt and our people were attacked at three different points; one, was at Elele, another one was at between Kpoki and Kira in Ogoniland and the third one was between Emohua and Sa-Ama-Abalama axis of the state and so many persons were injured and some of them are unconscious.

“We thank God that we did not lose any life, but for me, this is an unfortunate trend. I don’t want to believe that this is a signal that violence will characterise the 2015 election because that is not what any of us desires. The president has said, whether he means it or not, that his ambition is not worth the blood of anyone, I agree with him to that extent.

“But, again, it is one thing to share your philosophy, it is another thing to see your people clearly against what you believe in and you are doing nothing about it. We are optimistic that the President and his party, the PDP, will come out strongly and condemn the act of violence meted out on members of the APC in Rivers State.
But in its reaction to the accusations, the PDP in the state said its members had no hand in the incidents and advised the APC to look inwards to know where its problems were coming from.

The party described members of the APC as “pathological liars”, who kept feeding the people with lies in the name of criticism.
   
A statement issued in Port Harcourt by the state Chairman, Felix Obuah, through his media aide, Jerry Needam, said, “The PDP hereby makes bold to say that no member of the party was involved in the alleged shooting of suspected members of the APC.”
   
    It further declared: “Gunmen are not members of the PDP and they are not also working for the PDP. Members of the PDP are God fearing and cannot be part of any activity that will spill blood
   
    “The PDP urges the APC to settle their internal crisis, which is gradually tearing the APC apart, arising from the imposition of Peterside as governorship candidate without due process, and leave the PDP alone.
   
    “Rivers people are wiser and cannot yield to APC’s unsalable lies. The PDP would remain unwavering as we commence our campaigns to introduce our candidates for all coming elections and launch our programmes and policies that would put smiles on the faces of Rivers people. We would not be distracted by the antics of a failed party, the APC.”

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/buhari-amaechi-visit-injured-apc-members-in-hospital/198653/