Rivers State Government has accused the Minister of Transportation Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the GOC of 6 Division, Nigeria Army of masterminding the mass arrest of innocent Nigerians and prominent PDP members in the State. The essence of the arrests is to precipitate crisis and cause the INEC to postpone the elections in Rivers State. Failing this, the Minister will use the vacuum created by the absence of arrested leaders and rig the governorship election and force a candidate of his choice against the will of the people.
The State made this accusation through the Commissioner for Information and Communications Emma Okah following the arrest of the State Commissioner for Education Dr Tamunosisi Gogo Jaja and his family by soldiers this evening in Port Harcourt.
We have been saying it repeatedly that the Minister of Transportation has been commanding the army in Port Harcourt to do unprofesional things and the crisis are spreading.
He has been boasting that he has brought soldiers from Sokoto and other states to carry out his political agenda of disrupting or rigging elections on Saturday.
According to the statement, any arrested person would be kept behind bars till after the governorship elections in the State.
A lot of Prominent persons have been pencilled down for arrest. Some of them are His Excellency Sir Celestine Omehia, former Gov of Rivers State; Rt Hon Austin Opara, former Dep Speaker of House of Reps; State PDP Chairman Bro Felix Obuah; Elder statesman Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, former Chairman of UBA; Sen Okaka Nwogu; Chief Sergeant Awuse; Sen Lee Maeba; Dr Tammy Danagogo, former Sports Minister; Dr Abiye Sekibo, former Transport Minister; Amb Desmond Akawor, former Nig Ambassador to South Korea; Prince Emma Anyanwu; Sir Kenneth Kobani, SSG; Ejor N Ejor, Prof Blessing Didia, members of Rivers State House of Assembly; PDP candidates and National Assembly members elect; Alabo David Briggs, all commissioners and special advisers; Local Govermment Council Chairmen, Senator Thompson Sekibo, Chief Adokiye Amiesimaka, etc.
In the light of this development, the government calls on all PDP members not to be cowed by this development but be vigilant and resist arrest by these people.
