The RIVERS State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, said on Monday that the abduction of his Deputy Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Freddy Ndigbara, was politically motivated.
Ndigbara, who also anchors Amaechi’s programmes within and outside Government House, Port Harcourt, was kidnapped by unknown gunmen, who stormed a rally of the All Progressives Congress in Kaani Ward Six, Khana Local Government Area.
The hoodlums had come in a red Toyota Highlander, shot into the air, before going for their target (Ndigbara) and forced him into a waiting vehicle.
But Amaechi, who spoke through the Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief Tony Okocha, explained that the dastardly act had political undertone.
The governor stated that Ndigbara and one of the political leaders in Kaani, Mr. Celestine Akpobari, were able to convert over 5,000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC.
Amaechi pointed out that there was nothing wrong or extra-ordinary in what his aide did since the country was in a political setting where the electorate are being wooed from one political party to another.
He said, “Of course, Freddy Ndigbara’s abduction is politically motivated. We are aware that Ndigbara, in league with the Celestine Akpobari, was able to convert over 5,000 PDP members to APC.
“There is nothing wrong or extraordinary in what he (Ndigbara) did because we are in a political setting where the in thing now is to win political converts. Winning new convert was what Freddie did before he was kidnapped.”
The governor, however, appealed to his aide’s abductors to release him unconditionally, insisting that Ndigbara meant no harm to anybody as an APC member.
Meanwhile, The governorship candidate of the APC in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has said that members and supporters of the APC are not safe in the state.
Dakuku, who made this remark when a delegation of some House of Representatives members paid him a courtesy visit at his residence in Port Harcourt, said that a member of the APC was shot in Ogu and others were attacked in Bolo, near Okrika.
The governorship candidate also told the federal lawmakers that attack on his party members occurred after the momentary withdrawal of a military station in Bolo.
Peterside said he was surprised that no suspect had been arrested by the police even as 11 APC members had been killed in Omoku in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area.
He explained, “We signed a peace accord in January, 2015, facilitated by the American government. The US Ambassador was present. Shortly after signing the peace accord, APC’s secretariats in Okrika and Andoni, my federal constituency, were bombed.
“We went further to sign another accord, facilitated by the Inspector General of Police. He was represented by the AIG, Zone 6, Calabar, Tunde Ogunsakin. After the signing of the second peace accord, APC’s rally venue in Okrika was bombed on January 24, 2015.
“On a single day, 11 members of APC were killed in Omoku, among other attacks and killings across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State. We have always reported to the police. To our chagrin, till date, not one person has been arrested to our knowledge.
