RIVERS State Police Command, yesterday averted what could have been a bloody clash between members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and All Progressives Congress, APC, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State when supporters of the two parties invaded the streets.
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By Jimitota Onoyume
PORT HARCOURT— RIVERS State Police Command, yesterday averted what could have been a bloody clash between members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and All Progressives Congress, APC, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State when supporters of the two parties invaded the streets.
As early as 7.15 a.m., members of the APC had gathered at the party’s secretariat on Forces Avenue, warming up to march down to the state House of Assembly complex on Moscow road to denounce alleged refusal by the leadership of the assembly to swear in two elected members of the party, Victoria Nyeche, Port Harcourt state constituency 1 and Andrew Miller, elected to represent Opobo Nkoro state constituency.
Almost at the same time, members of the PDP had assembled around Moscow road, close to the assembly complex chanting party songs.
The Police quickly moved to avert a clash as it deployed patrol vehicles to block any direct contact between the two groups.
Meantime, secretary of the APC in the state, Chief Emeka Beke, said the protest was to condemn the alleged refusal of the leadership of the House to swear in the two members of the party elected as state legislators.
He said members decided to shelve the march to the assembly complex to avoid a possible clash when the party learned that the governor was going to the Assembly Complex.
He later led his party members on a rally on Aba Road displaying several placards with inscriptions as, “Wike respect rule of law, swear our elected members into the House” and “Rivers State House of Assembly must obey court order, swear in our members.”
The PDP on its part, said they came out in their numbers because they wanted to pay a solidarity visit to the Speaker of the House, Adams Dabatorudima, but were prevented by the police.
Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Sam Nwanosike, alleged that PDP members were attacked by the Police in a bid to stop them from marching to the complex.
According to him: “As PDP members, we wrote the state chairman and told him that we were going to pay a solidarity visit to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly. It is on record that this is the first time a youth is running the affairs of the Rivers State House of Assembly. So, we chose today (yesterday), November 17, 2016 to visit Mr. Speaker.”
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