The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers says it is exactly one year its members and other stakeholders held the “Rivers Black Day” march in honour of all those who were killed before, during and after the 2015 general elections in the state.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Senibo Chris Finbone, the party recalled that “the APC lost well over a hundred persons to the political violence that preceded and trailed that election and the killings have continued apace ever since.
“Security agents also lost their officers and men in the process; same for innocent non-partisans who also were killed mainly as collateral damage.
“Even after the general elections and the Rivers Black Day march that took place in Port Harcourt Monday, 30 November, 2015 and to this day, more lives have been needlessly terminated on account of political violence.
“One among the many lives that have been snuffed out includes late Barr Ken Atsuwete.”
“The APC dedicates ‘Rivers Black Day’ anniversary to the memory of all persons including security agents and non-partisans who lost their lives before, during and to this day due to the peculiarly violent politics some politicians introduced into the body polity of Rivers state because of their burning inordinate ambition to rule over others and corner the peoples’ commonwealth.\
“It is the fervent hope and prayer of the APC that by consciously keeping alive our memories of all victims of violent politics in Rivers state, the party is ensuring that those victims who paid the ultimate price did not do so in vain.
“More importantly, the APC believes that honouring the dead will go a long way in putting a closure to the pains and anguish of fathers, mothers and relations who lost their loved ones to political and other forms of violence in Rivers state in the recent past.”
The party said it was noting with sadness that the agents of darkness “who created the now infamous Rivers of Blood, who are however battling to live in denial, are still around and continue to ply their evil trade even after climbing on dead bodies to appropriate political power.”
It called the federal government to ensure that even as the rerun elections take place in the state on December 10, those agents of death who kill and maim for politics have no room to operate but made to pay for their crimes adequately and ultimately.
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