The Rivers state All Progressives Congress (APC), has re-dedicated the black Friday march to honour those that were killed during the 2015 general elections in the state.
In a press statement signed by the Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Chris Finebone, the party stated that the death of the over 100 persons including security agencies, will stand as the saddest period in the political experience of the state.
The statement also noted that more lives are still being taken after the elections, in circumstances suspected to be political.
It reads:
“It is exactly one year since the rivers state chapter of All Progressives Congress, (APC), 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 Rivers state.
“We recall 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, 30th 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 Carr. 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.
“As Rivers black day march clocks a year, the APC notes 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.”
The party then called on the federal government to put measures in place to ensure that those the party refers to as agents of death, would not be allowed to operate during the December 10, rerun elections.
“The APC calls on the federal government to ensure that even as the rerun elections take place in Rivers state on December 10, those agents of death who kill and maim for politics have no room to operate but will be made to pay for their crimes adequately and ultimately,” the statement read.
