Abba Moro campaign mourns; releases figure, names of Agatu road accident victims

The Abba Moro Campaign Organisation is saddened to issue this statement on the death of seven of our supporters from Oju, who were on their way to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, zonal campaign flag-off in Agatu on Friday, Dec. 28, 2018.

We are grief because the death of those esteemed supporters have dwarfed our plans and broken our arms.

We never saw this coming on a day that was meant to be memorable.

This statement became imperative following the conflicting reports in the media on the actual casualty figure and the circumstances leading to the tragic incident.

The accident occurred at Ojinebe along Adoka road after an oncoming vehicle, a Toyota Sienna; heading towards Otukpo rammed into one of the buses conveying our supporters from Oju LGA, thereby resulting to a head-on collision.

To set the record straight, a total of nine persons lost their lives in the mishap with seven being members and supporters of the PDP and two occupants of the ill-fated Sienna.

This is to correct the negative impression in the media that over 30 persons died in the auto crash. This is untrue and misleading.

We know every life matters and we are pained over the sad development; but we want to urge the general public to disregard the report making the rounds on the social mediashpere on the casualty figure.

Comrade Abba Moro, who was in his Otukpo residence when the incident occurred, received the news with shock and disbelief. He quickly rushed down to the scene with his team to ascertain the situation. This is contrary to the report that he was part of the convoy.

He subsequently moved to the hospital with senior members of the party where survivors were being rushed to before proceeding to the venue in Obagaji, Agatu to officially call off the rally as a mark of honour.

PDP party chieftains will today go to Oju to commiserate with families of the deceased.

Comrade Abba Moro is really sad about the mishap as one can obviously attribute the luciferous incident to the high traffic due to the Yuletide, which might have engineered the head-on collision.

Below are the confirmed names of our supporters who could not make it.

1. Dr. Ulaka Ulaka
2. Agi Ukuru Agu
3. Abigial Ogo
4. Odo Enyi
5. John Billy
6. Akpede Egbe
7. Ogbaji Onda

May the Lord grant the departed eternal rest in his bosom. Amen.

Ameh Comrade Godwin
Director, Media and Publicity
Abba Moro Campaign Organisation