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Violence rocked Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Monday as supporters of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Get together clashed alongside Aba Street within the metropolis over the end result of the March 18 governorship election.
PDP supporters, of their a whole bunch, as early as 8am, stormed the workplace of the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee alongside Aba Street, asking the fee to permit a joint inspection of election supplies by political events forward of the election petition tribunal sitting.
The placard-carrying protesters took off from GRA, whereas the demonstration paralysed vehicular actions from the Waterlines axis.
The incident resulted in a conflict between the PDP supporters and APC supporters within the state. Scores had been injured whereas one particular person was hit by a stray bullet.
Within the melee, the APC governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, reportedly escaped a mob assault as he was whisked away from the scene barely injured.
Our correspondent, who visited the scene, stories that whereas the PDP protest was ongoing, Cole, in firm with the state APC Chairman, Emeka Beke, and different occasion leaders, confirmed up on the GRA axis of Aba Street, heading for INEC workplace.
On listening to that Cole was on the GRA Junction, the protesting youths raced in his course and pelted stones and water sachets at him.
Safety operatives connected to Cole instantly shielded him and whisked him into the car, however the protesters continued pelting stones and sachet water at him and his group.
Our correspondent additional stories that inside a couple of minutes, troopers of the 6 Division, Nigeria Military, Port Harcourt, and operatives of the Nigeria Police and Nigeria Safety and Civil Defence Corps arrived and shot into the air to disperse the protesters.
The safety forces stationed patrol autos in entrance of INEC workplace to forestall any harm to the power.
Talking to newsmen at a special location shortly afterwards, Cole mentioned, “There was an assault on myself, my occasion chairman, and the girl chief, who had been going peacefully to go and accumulate paperwork from INEC.
“We weren’t allowed to get wherever close to the INEC workplace. This was a deliberate act to forestall us from going to get elementary supplies essential to our petition. And so they have informed us that they’re going to be there Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, by which era we could have no paperwork from INEC to current to the tribunal.
“All we’re involved in goes to the tribunal. You say you have got gained; enable us to go to the tribunal to show that you just didn’t win.”
When contacted, the state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Sydney Gbara, described the claims by Cole as false.
Gbara mentioned, “The reality of the matter is that Pastor Tonye Cole is being economical with the reality and is making an attempt to deceive the gullible members of the general public.
“What occurred was that the PDP was at INEC to register their protest and make calls for that additionally they need to be included in inspecting the end result sheets used for the election.
“And everyone knows that because the election, a number of political events have finished the identical. No different occasion has gone there to frustrate or cease them.
“However what we noticed at present was that Tonye Cole got here there with thugs wearing police uniforms and tried to disrupt what the PDP was doing, and we mentioned no.
“Within the course of, the thugs tried to disperse the PDP supporters and began taking pictures into the group. And considered one of our supporters was shot and rushed to the hospital. The knowledge we’re getting now could be that he has been confirmed useless as I communicate to you.
“Subsequently, the PDP is asking on the Inspector-Normal of Police and the state Commissioner of Police to go after Tonye Cole and arrest him instantly for the dying of that younger man.”
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