By Jimitota Onoyume

PORT HARCOURT—ALL Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, yesterday, alleged that it had uncovered plans by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to conspire with a unit in the Police, Special Armed Robbery Squad, SARS to frame some leaders of the party for arrest before the general elections.

Meantime, the PDP has denied the allegation. State Chairman of the party, Mr Felix Obuah, who spoke through his media aide said the party had no such plans, stressing that its focus was on winning the general elections.

Obuah, in turn, said that two of its chieftains were shot dead. He gave their names as Mr Ibima Olunta, PDP Chairman Ward 2, Abonnema, and Mr Goodfellow Bobmanuel, a PDP councillorship aspirant, Ward 2, Abonnema, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area.

The state Police spokesman, Mr Ahmad Muhammad, who confirmed the death, said it happened in Abonnema, Akuku Toru council. He said: “Our men at Abonnema were alerted of ongoing shooting involving cultists. On arrival at the scene they found one dead and took another who was injured to hospital but he later died. Investigation is ongoing.”

On APC’s allegation, Obuah said: “The attention of Rivers State, PDP has been drawn to a false and misleading statement by the APC alleging that the PDP in the state was planning to arrest Dakuku Peterside and some of its members.

The story is completely unfounded and misleading. There is no truth in it. The story existed only in the minds of Mr Davies Ikanya and Mr Eze Chukwuemeka.”

APC, in a statement by its state Chairman, Mr Davies Ikanya, alleged that the plan by the PDP and the security body was to plant guns in the homes of top APC members after which they would be arrested.

Ikanya, in a statement by his media aide, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka, said the second plan was to frame the governorship candidate and his deputy, Mr Honorable Asita, so that they would be whisked away by the Police before the elections.

The party also alleged that some of its members had been unjustly arrested by the Police.

“Our attention has been drawn to a sinister plot by the Rivers State PDP in conjunction with SARS of the state Police Command to launch what they call the mother of all operations code-named ‘Operation Total Crippling of Rivers APC’ aimed at ensuring that none of our leaders walks the streets freely during the forthcoming elections.

“The strategy to be adopted is for the PDP leadership to come up with fabricated petition alleging that the 300 APC leaders to be arrested are cultists, kidnappers or armed robbers. The plot is to keep at bay all the strong men behind the election of APC candidates until after the elections of Marchf 28 and April 11. Should this ploy fail, both Peterside and Asita shall be arrested and kept incommunicado until after the