Tonye Cole, the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC), was today attacked by thugs believed to be from the camp of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday in Port Harcourt.
Cole who spoke to reporters shortly after the incident, said he was leading a protest of APC chieftains to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Port Harcourt, to demand access to certified true copies of electoral materials when they were attacked by thugs, who prevented them from getting to the INEC office.
Cole said he was physically manhandled and their vehicles destroyed by the thugs who were said to be escorted by Police.
Cole further called the movement of the election tribunal from Rivers State, as it was clear the atmosphere was unsafe for any judicial proceedings
As at the time of this report, the sequence of events had shifted to the State APC headquarters in the GRA section of the city. The thugs were said to be trying to ransack the APC headquaters but met resistance from APC supporters.
The inspection of the electoral materials is said to be needed to file the election petition at the election tribunal.
Recall that over the weekend, lawyers representing the APC in Rivers State were arrested , and their electoral evidence materials also seized by the Police.
