The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of engaging in violence ahead of next month’s general elections, following an attack on supporters of the APC, who were shot by gunmen while on their way to the APC’s inaugural campaign for its presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, in Rivers State on Tuesday.
According to a statement by the party, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the APC said it was not surprising to read reports that alleged that the attack was led by an ex-militant who is a member of the PDP from the Gokana Local Government.
The APC alleged that the attack showed how desperate PDP has become, seeing that it was losing ground in Rivers State.
“The assurances by the leadership of the PDP ring hollow when thugs affiliated with the party are ambushing peaceful and harmless supporters heading to a campaign rally. It is either the leadership is not sincere in its assurances or it has lost control of the party, which will both be dangerous for the country,” Mohammed said.
“If the PDP has launched a campaign of violence against the APC this early, only God knows how far the ruling party will go to physically decimate the opposition before, during and after February’s elections. We are therefore calling on all Nigerians and indeed the international community to closely monitor the events during the ongoing electioneering campaign and the elections themselves.
“On our part, we will document every act of violence against our members and supporters, just so that we can show the world, with verifiable proof, which party is indeed the violent one,” the statement read.