Rivers APC Crisis: Abe Accuses Amaechi’s Loyalists Of Violence At Party Meeting

Former federal lawmaker, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, has accused members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Rivers State loyal to the minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, of attacking fellow members of the party who had gathered to deliberate on serious issues.

The attack was alleged to have happened at the Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of the state, when members of the party in Rivers, Cross River, Kano, Imo and Kwara States, who were unable to take part in the last registration and revalidation exercise met to prepare for the exercise.

He called on members of the party to denounce violence and resist the temptation of being provoked to attack anyone.

Magnus Abe, in a statement made available to the media on Sunday, insisted that a political disagreement does not amount to a land dispute neither a communal riot in which there is no meeting point, calling on all members of the party to give peace a chance.

“I received with shock and sadness the news of the unwarranted and senseless attack on law-abiding citizens and members of the All Progressives Congress in Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of Rivers State,” he said.

“Party members who had gathered peacefully in response to the directive of the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the party…only to be brutally attacked by other members of the APC loyal to the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.

“I condemn this primitive recourse to violence with it every breath of my being and I urge every Rivers man and woman and indeed all right-thinking citizens of our country to raise their voices and be heard,” it added..

“It is surprising that while we never mobilized to attack and maim those who killed our party members we can mobilize and arm youths to kill those who want to revalidate their membership of our party and those who want to join our party.

“It is clear that destroying Senator Abe and his supporters have become more important to some in the Rivers APC leadership than repositioning our party and preparing the party for victory.

“So far it is to the glory of God that not one member of our party has been killed by another member of this party, if we do not discourage violence we may end up spilling human blood and then our story could change for the worse.

“Once again, I appeal to all members of our great party in Rivers State to denounce violence. Do not be provoked to attack anyone, particularly your own brothers and sisters in the same party to please any individual. What we have in the party is a political disagreement, it is not a land dispute or a communal riot in which there is no meeting point.

“Members should remain calm and encourage all those who have not revalidated their membership or want to join the winning train of the APC to do so.

“I plead with all members and leaders of our great party to give peace a chance. A united, organized and galvanized APC will make a greater impact in Rivers politics than a violent, hateful mob.

Abe called on security operatives to bring to book all those behind the attack no matter whose camp they belong to.