There are reports of rising tension in the capital of Rivers state, Port Hacourt, following the selection of Dakuku Peterside as the consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the state.
An action that started as peaceful protest later degenerated into a violent agitation by indigenes of the Ogoni ethnic group who claim they have been betrayed by Governor Amaechi.
DAILY POST reports that the Ogoni protesters barricaded the entrance to the Rivers state government House in Port Harcourt, burning tires and breaching peace in the area.
Police who were mobilised to the scene shot into the air and fired teargas at the protesters, leaving a youth severely injured.
It took men of the SSS and some officers of the Joint Military Task Force to quell the crisis.
DAILY POST gathered that no official of the Rivers state government came to address the protesters.
One of the protesters said: “Amaechi made us to defect from the PDP to the APC. He made us to fight the Federal government. Governor Amaechi deceived us into following him and now he wants to marginalize us.
“Amaechi used us and dumped us. Why will he want to make somebody from Opobo a Governor. Opobo is single community. They are a minority. Why will he want to us the Ogonis who have 4 local government areas to concede to a minority.
“So we are saying that an Ogoni man must become the governor of Rivers state in 2015.”
As at press time, passers-by have been made to raise their hands to pass a section of the Abali Park on the popular Aba road.
In the meantime, Dakuku Peterside is now in a closed door meeting with Governor Amaechi.
Peterside was yesterday picked as the consensus candidate by elders of the APC.
Comments