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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Factional members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State loyal to Senator Magnus Abe have called on the Nigeria Police Force to investigate a trending video clip, where the names of the former lawmaker and some chieftains of the party were defamed by unknown individuals.
Purported aggrieved loyalists of Abe, who gave their names as Tonte Amachree from Asari Toru Local Government Area, APC Ward 7 and Kelvin Okechukwu Obulo from Opobo Nkoro, APC Ward 4, had alleged that the faction and PDP were hobnobbing to cause disintegration of the party.
They claimed that at a recent meeting convened by Bethel Oko-Jaja and Ben Horsefall, and held in Port Harcourt, they (Amachree and Okechukwu) were surprised when the state Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Desmond Akawor, joined them at the meeting.
Also, they claimed that Akawor addressed them on how the state government and PDP would help them (Abe’s camp) to secure victory at the court.
Briefing reporters on the allegation, in Port Harcourt, yesterday, Oko-Jaja, who was alleged to be the convener of the said meeting, denied that such meeting was held.
He said that the two persons, who organised the press conference were faceless and the motive was to tarnish the names of Senator Abe and those mentioned in the script, which video had gone viral.
According to him, the purported and stage-managed press conference by the faceless individuals was a reflection of the frustration of APC Rivers leadership.
Oko-Jaja called: “Accordingly, we call on the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, to investigate these persons in the press conference and their allegations of illegality in the video clip and unravel the truth behind all of these. The clandestine move to criminally defame others in the name of politics should not be allowed to stand.
“We also enjoin the party to join us to demand that the Nigeria Police investigate the allegations so that the law could take its course. The allegations made by the unknown persons in the press conference, masquerading as Senator Magnus’ followers, if true, give rise to criminal responsibility, as they border on conspiracy to commit the crime of perversion of justice.
“And, if they are not true as they obviously are untrue, the crime of criminal defamation has been committed. Either way, what stares be us all is a challenge to our criminal justice system. This is politics taken too far. I hereby offer myself for investigation by the police for these allegations.”
He, however, declared that the problem and challenges of APC Rivers State, which was the reason for the “drama of lies”, could not be solved by the underhand method of the party’s leadership.
