Ateke Tom versus Governor Rotimi Amaechi: Amaechi accused Patience Jonathan, but Tom absolved her.

Former leader of a militant group in the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria, Ateke Tom, has accused politicians of being responsible for the attack on the governorship rally of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Okrika, Rivers State on 18 February.

The APC rally which had a lot of party members and candidates including Dakuku Peterside, the party’s governorship candidate in the forthcoming election, was attacked by unknown gunmen who stormed the venue at the middle of the event and began shooting sporadically killing a policeman and injuring several other people.

Ateke Tom, who absolved Dame Patience Jonathan, wife of President Goodluck Jonathan from the attack on the rally, said the violence was sponsored by politicians who he refused to mention.

To him, Dame Jonathan is a peaceful woman and would not engage in such act or even sponsor people to carry out violence.

Mrs. Jonathan is a native of Okrika. Her husband is the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and her godson, Nyesom Wike, is the governorship candidate of the PDP in the state.

Since the incident, fingers have been pointing at her direction. Even Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and chairman of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, accused the President’s wife of sponsoring the violence against the APC.

“But what I am sure of is that the President’s wife can never be involved in the attack at Okrika,” Tom said. “She is seen as the mother of the country and she hates violence and the shedding of blood. She can’t be involved in such an act and I disagree with those saying she is responsible for the attack on APC campaign ground.”