Atiku campaign cancels planned rally in Rivers over ‘attacks, death threats’
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign council in Rivers has announced the cancellation of its planned rally in the state, originally scheduled for Tuesday.
Lee Maeba, chairperson of the PDP presidential campaign council in Rivers, made the announcement on Monday at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
Maeba said the rally has been called off following attacks on the members of the campaign team in the state.
“It is, therefore, instructive to note that this directive has direction in the vituperation of an overt act of governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike,” he said.
“In this instance, he has openly branded members of the PDP presidential campaign council and all supporters of the presidential candidate as enemies of the state and vowed to crush them. Video evidence abounds to support our assertion.
“In the light of the above submission, we the state campaign council, in total constructive engagement with the national presidential campaign council, the candidate, and the party, having seen and evaluated the bodily harm and potential death threats, believe that no loss of life can be tolerated, accepted before, during and after the presidential election, and agree with our principals on the need to shelve and or cancel the rally to avoid any death, because the victory of Atiku Abubakar does not deserve spilling of the blood of even one citizen of Rivers state.
“This may be painful, but it is the best decision to take as no human death can be excused on the insistence of hosting a rally due to the brigandage which the security agencies have not been able to break in and restore confidence, security-wise, on the populace and our members
Maeba asked President Muhammadu Buhari to “act decisively” and ensure that “security agencies do their job in an impartial manner that will restore confidence” in the elections
The development comes days after Abiye Sekibo, director-general of the PDP presidential campaign council in Rivers, was attacked by armed persons.
Sekibo, who alleged that he was attacked by security operatives, also claimed that the venue which was being prepared for the campaign rally was set ablaze.
