Alaibe unharmed in the Attack
Friday, 07 January was a black Friday for Opokuma as political thuggery reared its ugly head at the rally organised to welcome home Ndutimi Alaibe from Abuja after his tour of national duty as the Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Amnesty Affairs. Mr Alaibe hails from Igbainwari town, Opokuma in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Mr Alaibe had resigned his appointment only a week earlier to contest as Governor of Bayelsa in the forthcoming elections. Mr Alaibe had hoped to use the event to formally announce his intention to run and to seek the blessing of his kinsmen. A large motorcade of supporters had accompanied Alaibe to his country home and subsequently a mammoth crowd had gathered. Alaibe will be contesting the elections in April as the Labour Party Gubernatorial candidate for Bayelsa State.
Assailants suspected to be political thugs attacked the gathering, wielding guns, machetes and clubs and unleashed terror on the gathering. In the ensuing fracas, several persons were killed and injured. Some arrests have been made and the injured are receiving treatment in nearby hospitals. Timi Alaibe survived the attack unscathed. It will be recalled that his country home was attacked with bombs in November 2010 by unknown assailants and in that incident a member of his security detail, a Police constable, was killed.
In an election that President Jonathan has vowed would be free and fair, certain evil political elements seem to be hell-bent on terrorising aspiring contestants to submission.
Despite these brazen acts of political intimidation, the activities reconvened on Saturday and Mr Alaibe assured his teeming supporters of his unflinching resolve to contest on the platform of the Labour Party of Nigeria and that he has what it takes to make significant improvements on the lives of Bayelsans with the resources at the disposal of the State.
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