The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for disgracing the state in the federal capital, Abuja. Rivers APC made the condemnation while reacting to the unruly behaviour of Rivers State PDP leaders who on Wednesday exchanging blows during a reconciliation committee sitting at the PDP National Headquarters for the party’s chapters in the Niger Delta region of the country.

“Nigerians can now see what we have been experiencing in Rivers State and those who thought that we were wrongly accusing Rivers PDP and its leader, Minister of State for Education Nyesom Wike, of being agents of violence, can now see that we have been vindicated,” Rivers APC said in a statement issued in Port Harcourt and signed by the State Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya.

“Other Nigerians may have been shocked by the disgraceful behaviour of the characters that call themselves PDP leaders but to us in Rivers State we are not by any means surprised because we are used to their violent ways. In fact, the second name of the Rivers PDP is trouble and they have exhibited this severally in Rivers State. Their stock-in-trade of causing mayhem and unprovoked attacks against anybody who is not a member of the drowning party is not strange to us at all,” Ibiamu said in the statement.

He accused PDP leaders in Rivers State of organising ex-militants from neighbouring Bayelsa State to march round Port Harcourt some months ago “in order to cause a breakdown of law and order and mobilised some unruly youths to molest six Northern Governors led by Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso who came to visit and sympathise with their Rivers State counterpart, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi who was under siege during the period of exhibition of impunity by the National Leadership of PDP under the then leader, Alh Tukur who supervised the illegal suspension of Governor Amaechi for defeating Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State in the Governors Forum election with 19 votes to 16 votes contrary to the calculation and thinking of the Presidency who believe that 16 is higher than 19 votes and that five lawmakers at that time can impeach Governor Amaechi in a State House of Assembly of 32 members.”

“We are fully aware of their impunity, violent acts and antecedents and that is why Rivers State people have massively rejected the party. Let us reiterate that no amount of thuggery and intimidation as associated with PDP will allow such uncivilised and evil party to have a place in Rivers State anymore. We therefore urge the relatively good people still in PDP to leave en masse and join APC that will surely form the next government come 2015 before it is late,” the statement concluded.

•Photo shows Rivers State APC Chairman Ikanya.

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