Political Violence: APC Seeks UN, AI’s Intervention


The All Progressives Congress in Rivers State has called on the United Nations, Amnesty International and other relevant international organisations to intervene in the continued attack on its members.

The state APC said while some of its members had been killed as a result of political violence allegedly unleashed by the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, many of its faithful had sustained serious injuries following the attacks.

Speaking during an international press conference in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the State Chairman of the APC, Dr Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, also urged humanitarian and democratic organisations to put in place a high-powered election monitoring network in the state.

Ikanya explained that such measures would help to avert bloodbath, which might cripple the already weakened economy of the state, adding that an acceptable election outcome was possible in Rivers only if the exercise was free and fair.

He stated that a free and fair election would not be possible if the current spate of violence, highhandedness, intimidation and terror was not halted.

“We call on Amnesty International, the International Red Cross, relevant organs of the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union and the United Nations to immediately commence independent inquiries into the gruesome attacks and killings in Rivers State.

“We call on these and other humanitarian and democratic organisations and institutions to set up a high-powered election monitoring networks, teams and processes to monitor the elections in Rivers State to avert unnecessary bloodbath which may cripple our already weakened economy.

“An acceptable electoral outcome is possible in Rivers State only if the elections are truly free and fair. There cannot be free and fair elections if the spate of violent high handedness, intimidation and terror is not halted.

“As the 2015 general elections approaches, the scale, magnitude and intensity of the orchestrated violence against members of the APC is assuming a frightful dimension and this necessitated that we cry out to the Nigerian and international community,” the state APC chairman added.

Ikanya maintained that thugs allegedly hired by the PDP attacked and killed APC members under the watchful eyes of the police without any arrest.

He, however, urged members of his party to remain calm and law abiding, but defend themselves, insisting that APC members were being attacked so that they (APC members) would believe that it was unsafe for them to come out and vote, thereby disenfranchising them.

Ikanya criticized the police for their inability to arrest at least one culprit out of 13 different attacks on members and supporters of the APC in different communities and local governments of the state.

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