Nigeria Content Online

Former vice
president, Atiku Abubakar yesterday demanded investigation into the
death of some Nigerians at the PDP presidential rally in Port Harcourt
on Saturday.

In a message of
condolence issued by his media office in Abuja on Sunday, Mr Abubakar,
who lost to President Goodluck Jonathan at last month’s presidential
primaries of the party, described the death of the Nigerians as a
tragedy.

No fewer than 16
people lost their lives during a stampede at the Liberation Stadium,
Port Harcourt where the PDP held its presidential campaign rally at the
weekend.The former vice president, however, implored the ruling party
and the government not to desert the families of the deceased as they
are ‘heroes of democracy’.

The campaign
organisation of the presidential candidate of Action Congress of
Nigeria (ACN), Nuhu Ribadu also described the deaths as avoidable and
tragic loss. In a statement by its Director of Media and
Communications, Ibrahim Modibbo, the organisation said it sympathises
with the family of the deceased and prays that “God will grant them the
fortitude to bear the loss.”

The organisation
however asked all political parties to ensure that adequate security
measures are taken before, during and after campaign rallies and
programmes. The organisation also called for the police to be more
efficient in their duties, particularly during this campaign season as
“more political rallies will definitely take place.”

Medical assistance

In the wake of the
tragic incident ,the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Obot
Akpabio, has set up a team of medical experts to assist some of the
victims of the stampede.

The governor, in a
statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Usoro I. Usoro, said
that “a delegation headed by the Commissioner for Health, of the state,
Louisa Ukpe, left Uyo for Port Harcourt, immediately after the
incident, to offer medical assistance towards fore-stalling further
loss of lives.

“The team is also
expected to search all hospitals and other health facilities with a
view to identifying all Akwa Ibom indigenes who might have been
involved in the incident and offer immediate help to them.” Mr. Akpabio
said that the victims of the stampede were part of the teaming crowd of
supporters that thronged the Liberation Stadium to show overwhelming
solidarity to their son, Mr Jonathan.

The governor
however urged Nigerians to vote overwhelmingly for Mr Jonathan as a
mark of honour in memory of those who died in the incident. “Today and
always, we will always remember their loyalty and support which they
carried to the end. Our heart goes out to them. We mourn with the
families of those mourning and pray with a deep sense of sorrow that
the Almighty God should console them over this unexpected calamity”,
the governor said.