The Rivers State  Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has condemned attack on supporters of All Progressives Congress (APC) on their way to attend the flag-off of the party’s presidential campaign on Tuesday in Port Harcourt with the call on federal government to provide security to all citizens irrespective of party affiliation.
He made the call after he led the APC presidential hopeful Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, including other party faithful on a sympathy visit to victims of the attack at the Kelsey Harrison Hospital on Wednesday in Port Harcourt.
The APC supporters from Khana and Akuku-Toru were attacked by unknown gunmen while on their way to Port Harcourt for the flag off of presidential campaigns in the South-South.
The governor said APC members have shown maturity and peaceful disposition despite various provocations from the opposition, and called on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to condemn the act as well.
Amaechi said, “Imagine that the president goes to campaign in Katsina or in Kano and his convoy is attacked; imagine that, we will condemn it. In the same manner, we are expecting that the President and the Peoples Democratic Party should be able to condemn this act”.
Amaechi called on the president and Commander-in-Chief to provide needed security for all Nigerians irrespective of which party they belong.
“I have continued to say that if the state is not able to provide security for individuals, individuals begin to provide security for themselves and I pray that people don’t begin to provide security for themselves. I pray that all of us should come out and support the state to provide security and the state must be ready to provide that security”, he added.
He sued for peaceful elections urging all parties to play by the rules, and  promised that the state will provide medical service for victims of the attack and will extend financial support to their families within the period of their medical care.
In his reaction, Rivers State APC gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside condemned the attack as he challenged the PDP federal government to provide security in order to ensure peaceful polls.
He said, “This is unfortunate trend. I don’t want to believe that violence will characterize the 2015 elections because that is not what any one of us desire. The president has said severally, whether he means it or not is a different matter, that his ambition is not worth the blood of anybody and we agree with him to that extent but again, it is one thing to share your philosophy, it is another thing to see your go clearly against what you believe in and are doing nothing about it. I’am optimistic that the president and his team and members of his party, the PDP will come out strongly and condemn this act of violence visited on members of the APC in Rivers State.”
Peterside reiterated that APC believes in peaceful polls and using peaceful means to realize its political goals.