The All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State
Chapter, has demanded that Dame Patience Jonathan, wife of President Goodluck
Jonathan, should accept responsibility for the recent attack on the APC
gubernatorial campaign train while attempting to hold a rally in her local
government of birth, Okrika.
“Subsequent comments and utterances by the First Lady
have removed any iota of doubt that she was one of the unseen hands behind the
deadly attack and disruption of APC's campaign and the attempt on the life of
our gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside. Sadly, Cpl. Ifeanyi
Okorie, a police officer providing security at the rally, was killed by the
bullets fired by thugs acting on behalf of the First Lady and the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), while a Senior Correspondent of Channels Television Mr.
Charles Eruka covering the rally was stabbed and many APC supporters equally
wounded. Dame Jonathan should, for once, show maturity by apologising for her
role in that orchestrated Okrika tragedy,” Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies
Ibiamu Ikanya, said in a statement.
Ikanya in the statement issued on Monday in Port
Harcourt regretted that the First Lady has refused to show remorse for the
consequences of her utterances, citing her directive while addressing market
women at the PDP women rally in Cross Rivers State on February, 25th: “If you
see anybody mentioning change, stone that person to death.”
“When the above statement was credited to the First
Lady, we thought that she was being quoted out of context but we now know
better, as she has not denied the statement, two weeks after, but has rather
gone ahead to make similar inciting utterances at some other rallies for PDP
women addressed by her. We can now understand why her supporters chased us out
of Okrika with live bullets instead of stones as advocated,” Ikanya said.
Her directive that APC members be stoned was heeded
but instead of stone they used bullet and bombs which led to the death of a
policeman it is shameful that Mrs. Jonathan is the first Nigerian First lady to
be reported to the ICC and the second First Lady in Africa to be reported to
the ICC. Mrs. Simone Gbagbo, wife of the former President of Cote D'Ivoire,
Laurent Gbagbo, prior to that country's 2010 election. The ICC indicted Mrs.
Gbagbo for her part in planning to perpetrate brutal attacks – including
murder, rape, and sexual violence, on her husband's political opponents in the
wake of the 2010 election.
The Rivers APC Chairman condemned Dame Jonathan,
saying it is very unfortunate that such a crude language should come from the
mouth of somebody of her calibre. He equally berated President Jonathan,
saying: “By refusing to condemn the unfortunate attack against APC supporters
during the Okirika rally and these reckless statements by his wife, President
Jonathan is, in other words, telling Nigerians that he supports his wife's
directive that APC faithful should be stoned to death for expressing their
political beliefs.
We hereby commend and congratulate the National APC
leadership for formally reporting this ferocious lady to the International
Criminal Court (ICC), the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police (IG) and the
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), among others". If for nothing she
has demonstrated by her imprudent and unguided statements that her husband is
not fit for any electoral office, Dr Ikanya further stated.
This is yet another strong reason why Nigerians
should shine their eyes and vote out the Jonathan administration, which has
brought nothing but misery and death to Nigerians and does not deserve any
extra day in office after May 29, 2015.”
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