by Azubuike Azikiwe

A lawmaker representing Ogu/Bolo state constituency in Rivers State House of Assembly, Evans Bipi, has claimed that the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state, is responsible for the attack on its rally in Okrika on Tuesday, February 17.

According to Bipi, the attack on the rally of the opposition party was orchestrated by the party itself.

In a statement released on Wednesday, February 18, in Port Harcourt, Bipi wondered why the governorship candidate of the APC, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, and Governor Rotimi Amaechi would link him with the attack.

He stated that during the incident, he was in Bayelsa State commiserating with families of the 11 women, who lost their lives in an auto crash on their way back from a visit to the First Lady, Patience Jonathan, in Okrika.

He said: “Let this be a warning to Governor Amaechi and Dakuku to leave the First Lady and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governorship candidate, Chief Nyesom Wike, and myself, including the PDP, out of their series of stage-managed attacks as their frequent blackmails will always remain dead on arrival.”

While condemning the attack, Bipi said he was going to file a lawsuit agains Amaechi and Peterside for linking him with the attack, stressing that their allegation was the height of irresponsibility.

“The statement credited to Peterside, the governorship flagbearer of APC, along with Governor Amaechi, accusing me of leading gunmen to attack their rally in Okrika on Tuesday, is most unfortunate and above all, the height of irresponsibility on their part and the APC. I was outside the state when the report of the ugly incident got to me.”

“While I condemn the said attack in its entirety, I challenge Peterside, Amaechi and the APC to produce the evidence of their spurious allegation against me, the first Lady and the PDP governorship candidate, Chief Wike, within the next 24 hours or else I will take necessary lawful and legal actions against them and their party.”

Kolapo Olapoju