Governorship race: ACN alleges arrest of members in Rivers

BARELY three days to the governorship and State House of Assembly elections, the Action Congress of Nigeria in Rivers State has alleged the secret arrest of some of its members by security operatives.
The Director of Publicity and Communications of Abiye Sekibo Campaign Organisation, Jerry Needam, explained that such arrest took place in Obio/Akpor, Khana, Gokana and Okrika Local Government Areas.
Needam accused the Rotimi Amaechi administration of being behind the secret arrest of ACN members in the state.
Needam’s claim is contained in a statement made available to journalists in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
The Senior Adviser to the State Governor on Media, Mr. David Iyofor, described the allegation as a false alarm.
Iyofor maintained that the state governor would never order the arrest of members of the opposition parties, even as he noted that the ACN should have mentioned the names of the victims of the alleged secret arrest.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ben Ugwuegbulam, said he was not aware of such arrests, but would try and make enquiries to confirm the veracity of such an allegation.
Meanwhile, a group, the Oyo State Professionals, has endorsed the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Senator Abiola Ajimobi.
The group comprising lawyers, teachers, engineers, farmers, doctors, nurses, civil servants, architects and bankers among others took the decision to back Ajimobi at an emergency meeting held in Ibadan, the state capital.
In a six-point communique issued at the end of the meeting, they said they took the decision in the interest of the generality of the people of the state who were yearning for good governance, probity and accountability.
The communique was read to journalists on Saturday by the group’s President, Mr. Omokunmi Akande, and supported by the Vice-President, Titilayo Akinjide and Director of Publicity, Mr. Niran Afonja.
Also the Congress for Igbo Agenda, an amalgamation of Igbo professionals and entrepreneurs in Nigeria, has expressed support for the political aspirations of Alhaji Mamoud Shinkafi Aliyu,the incumbent governor of Zamfara state who is also the governorship candidate of People’s Democratic Party in the state and Mr Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Party of Nigeria in Ogun State.
President of the group, Rev. Chukwudi Peace and the Secretary-General, Mr Thomas Onyebuchi, said in a statement that the group decided to support the two aspirants due to the conviction that they are the best men for the job.
The congress said that it found Shinkafi worthy of its support because he had acquitted himself so well in the last four years in the administration of Zamfara State.
The group said it believed that Isiaka could bring the same ingenuity to bear on the economic fortunes of the state that would ensure its prosperity.
By Chukwudi Akasike, EMMANUEL ONYECHE and olalekan adetayo         Courtesy Of: Punch