Bayelsa Polls: APC youths set 5 buildings ablaze …..PDP denies complicity in death of APC member
Felix Okoye
Property worth millions of naira including five buildings belonging to prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were allegedly destroyed by members of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) at Oweigbene in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the State at the weekend.
Condemning the attack in a chat with newsmen in Yenagoa, the state capital, Director of Publicity of the Restoration Campaign Organisation, Jonathan Obuebite, said the arson was carried out in retaliation of the death of APC member, Andrew June.
But he denied any complicity of PDP members in the killing.
According to him, PDP chieftain, Chief Alex Ekiotene, was not at the scene of the incident contrary to media reports by the APC but was briefed by the chairman of the Community Development Community, (CDC) in the area.
Obuebite said, the APC was only trying to play politics with the death of the deceased.
Giving an account of the incident based on information, which he said was obtained from an eye witness, Obuebite stated that trouble started when members of the APC prevented PDP members from mounting the banner of the party’scandidate, Governor Seriake Dickson in the area.
“The APC members drew the first blood as they attacked PDP members with cutlass, cudgel and other dangerous weapons. During the fracas that lasted for close to one hour, the deceased and three other people from both camps sustained injuries and were rushed to a clinic in Ojobo, Delta State.
“Andrew June did not die at the spot of the incident as reported by some national dailies but died four hours later after forcefully discharging himself from the clinic where he was receiving treatment”, he stated.
He further noted that the deceased later returned to the village and joined other groups to sign a peace accord, assuring the security operatives that they would maintain law and order during the forthcoming governorship election.
However, Obuebite clarified that few hours after signing the peace accord, the late June was rushed back to the same clinic at Ojobo where he gave up the ghost.
His death, he informed, triggered off crisis in the community as members of the APC went on rampage burning houses belonging to PDP members including that of Mr Ebilamene Victor.
He said in order to prevent the matter from degenerating into bloodletting, the matter was reported at the Divisional Police headquarters in the area.
He also said the state Commissioner of Police has already directed the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) to take inventory of all the property allegedly destroyed by the APC members.
It was alleged that the deceased was paid N0.5m to foment crisis in the area and ensure the victory of the APC during the forthcoming election by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri.