The All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the attack on its Rivers governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, and several party chieftains on Monday. The incident occurred as they were on their way to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office to inspect the certified true copies of electoral documents ahead of the election petition tribunal. Supporters of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had also chosen that day to protest at the INEC office, demanding a joint inspection of the documents used for the March 18 governorship election. When the protesters learned that Cole was nearby, they rushed toward him and pelted him with “pure water” sachets and stones. Thanks to his security detail, which shielded him, the APC candidate avoided being mobbed.
What began as a peaceful protest quickly degenerated into violence, with indiscriminate gunshots fired and one of the warring parties reportedly felled in the crossfire. The victim, later identified as a PDP supporter, died as a result of the clash. Cole has since been invited by the Rivers State Police Command to explain his role in the violence that led to the death.
In a statement issued from Abuja, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka condemned the attack, calling it a barbaric act with no place in a democracy. He described the incident as a premeditated confrontation by PDP thugs and urged the police to conduct a thorough investigation, suggesting the assault was intended to frustrate Cole and discourage him from seeking justice at the election petition tribunal. Morka said:
> “This barbaric and unprovoked attack occurred during a visit to the INEC office by Mr Tonye Cole, APC Governorship Candidate, Dr Innocent Barikor, deputy governorship candidate, Mr Emeka Beke, state chairman of the party, and three other party officials to obtain the Certified True Copies of vital documents in the March 18 governorship and House of Assembly elections. Without warning, thugs and supporters of the PDP descended on our party officials, inflicting severe and life‑threatening injuries on them, and damaging personal and party properties.
> “This premeditated attack by PDP thugs and operatives on our officials and members in Port Harcourt is yet another in what has now become an orgy of violence carried out with mind‑boggling audacity, and with absolutely no serious investigation by the police or repercussions for the instigators and perpetrators of this serial violence.
> “Ostensibly, this latest attack was aimed at frustrating the effort of our Governorship Candidate to obtain vital documents to exercise his constitutional right to challenge the declared result of the Governorship election in the state. For the PDP that claims to have won the election to resort to this level of violence to block a legitimate legal challenge tells a different story of a party sitting precariously on needles and pins in the face of prospects of a legal challenge by our governorship candidate.
> “While we commend the swift response of security agencies, especially the Police and the Nigerian Army in restoring peace and order in the wake of this brutal attack, we again call on the Inspector General of Police to order an urgent and thorough investigation into this and previous incidents of violent attacks on leaders and members of our party in Rivers state, and to bring the sponsors and perpetrators to justice.”
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