by ‘Jola Sotubo

The visit to Rivers State by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) almost turned sour as police officers reportedly refused entry to the horde of Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s supporters who thronged the airport to show their solidarity to the governor.

The police officers said that they had been ordered by the state’s Police Commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu, to keep the crowd out of the Port Harcourt International Airport where the party leaders arrived to a reception by the governor.

However, the supporters pressed on despite the restriction and stationed themselves on the Port Harcourt-Owerri Expressway at the junction leading to the airport where they proceeded to sing and dance in celebration of their governor.

The Nation Newspaper reports:

Apparently to show total support to the Rivers governor, thousands of people stormed the Government House, Port Harcourt. They were initially at the main gate on Azikiwe Road, but the gate was later left open for them to enter the seat of power.

The Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha, hinted on Sunday night that the First Lady, Dame Patience, was expected to leave Port Harcourt for Abuja at 11:30 pm yesterday. The APC leaders, including former Head of State Gen. Mohammed Buhari, Chief Bisi Akande, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and some governors, would fly in from Abuja around 2 pm.

The leaders of the main opposition party are visiting Rivers State to persuade Amaechi and his teeming supporters to join the APC. There have been similar visits to some of the G-7 governors.

Reporters and photographers of various media houses in Port Harcourt and those from outside Rivers state, in a Toyota Hiace bus, had it rough with the overzealous policemen at the gate of the airport, as they were initially prevented from driving in.

Two senior police officers called the security personnel to order, after the identity cards of the media men had been thoroughly checked.

As at 3:46 pm, when our reporter left the airport, the supporters of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) chairman were still waiting at the junction of the airport, while the crowd at the Government House started dispersing around 6 pm, when it became obvious that the APC leaders would no longer visit.

A police officer, who would not want to be named, said the supporters of Amaechi were prevented from accessing the airport to prevent the breakdown of law and order.

When the policeman was reminded that supporters of the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, were always allowed into the airport, even up to the VIP Lounge and the tarmac to receive Wike, Jonathan or his wife, he declined to comment.

Amaechi, who spoke through the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha, said today’s crowd would be three times bigger than yesterday’s.

Okocha said: “The police and other enemies of progress want to diminish the support of Rivers people for Governor Amaechi, but they have failed. Rivers people refuse to be intimidated or cowed. Their support is unwavering and they will not take the law into their own hands.”

The First Lady, who was scheduled to leave Port Harcourt yesterday, did not leave. There was no official explanation for the change.

The wife of the President was in Rivers state for the funeral of her mother, the late Madam Charity Fyneface Oba, aka Mama Sisi, at Okrika, headquarters of Okrika Local Government Area.