Some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State at the weekend complained that they are constantly being attacked by supporters of an opposition candidate. Ogbia is the council area of former President Goodluck Jonathan. The politicians, under the auspices of the Ogbia PDP Renaissance (OPR, expressed worry that with just few weeks to the general elections, they were being harassed, intimidated and killed in the council area.
The group in a statement signed by its Chairman, Obhioru Mitanoni,accused an opposition candidate in the area of being responsible for the attacks. The group said PDP members and supporters in Ogbia have become targets of attack by the desperate candidate who is jittery over his chances. He called on security agencies to urgently wade into the issue and arrest the situation alleging that the opposition candidate armed youths with sophisticated weapons to harass PDP members.
The statement said: “We are now confronted with one of the worst political violence in Ogbia local government. On a daily basis thugs loyal to the opposition candidate are brutalizing and killing our members. We have it on good authority that the APC candidate for the Ogbia Federal Constituency procured all manners of arms to cause mayhem before and during the election. This is because he knows that he will fail.
“We are however shocked that despite the ugly development, some leaders of our party the PDP are giving tacit endorsement to the candidature of the APC and even sponsoring his rascality in the area. If this is not so, how else can anyone explain their silence. For instance, Ogbia is the home local government of a former President, yet he has watched as his fellow kinsmen are being slaughtered like chicken every now and then without doing anything about it.
“This is indeed sad. It has confirmed our earlier position that the APC candidate enjoys the support and backing of the former president along with his wife. We will send a formal petition to the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner of Police in the state over the killings, intimidation and harassment of PDP supporters in Ogbia. We use this opportunity to call on all Ogbia sons and daughters to reject the APC in the coming elections.”