Tonye Cole, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State in the 2023 election, on Monday said he was attacked and injured by thugs allegedly sponsored by the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that gunshots were heard on Monday when members of the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State clashed in Port Harcourt, the state capital over the inspection of electoral materials.
Trouble started when Cole and APC chieftains arrived at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state capital to inspection of materials used in the last election in the state.
The APC candidate said political thugs pelted him with stones which hit him in the back.
He narrated to Channels TV: “PDP organised thugs from everywhere to prevent us from getting to INEC office.
“I wasn’t deterred, so I went with my party Chairman, the woman leader, the youth leader, senior officials of APC. They had barricaded the road from GRA junction, everywhere full, all smoking Indian hemp.
“The first thing was that they began to assault me, a woman grabbed me, grabbed my shirt, then they began to pull me, pull me from the back. First, they were throwing water, then they began to throw food, and the next minute, they started throwing stones.
“Next thing after that, we started hearing gunshots. It took my security people to forcefully evict me.
“In throwing of the stones, they damaged our vehicles, and they injured me.
“They slapped me, punched me; they pulled my shirt, they dragged me, and then threw stones at me, until I was at the back.”
