Vows to resort to self defence, if nothing is done

All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council in Rivers State says it has petitioned European Union Elections Observer Mission in Nigeria, ambassadors and high commissioners of the United States, Great Britain, European Union, African Union, the International Criminal Court at the Hague and local human rights advocacy groups over attacks and breach of rights and freedom of citizens in the state.

The Council, while accusing the state Governor, Nyesom Wike, of using the police to foster insecurity in the state , said it has lost faith in the neutrality of the police in Rivers.

Spokesman for the Campaign Council, Sogbeye Eli, who stated this in Port Harcourt, yesterday, maintained that only the intervention of multilateral and multinational agencies can restore sanity to Rivers.

Eli said: “We have a governor, whose understanding of power and the desperation for control of same borders on schizophrenia. Wike would do anything, no matter how atrocious, illegal, unlawful and illegitimate to sustain his grip on power. But why should that be the case when the Constitution has provided proper and adequate safeguards against such dictatorship?

“Consequently, we have petitioned European Union Elections Observer Mission in Nigeria, ambassadors and high commissioners of the United States, Great Britain, the European Union, African Union, the International Criminal Court at the Hague and local human rights advocacy groups.

“We either rise to stop this dictator now or the state perishes at this 2023 general elections with very dire consequences for Nigeria. We have lost too many lives as a party in Rivers State since the 2014/2015 elections cycle to tolerate any further attacks on our lives or personal freedom. No one should blame our party’s leadership and members for any resort to self-defence or self-help to protect ourselves from this point onwards.”

He claimed the APC in Rivers State had counted too many dead bodies, damaged properties and confiscation of their fundamental rights through the collaboration of Wike with state and non-state actors.

He vowed that the adversity against the people would no longer go unchallenged., saying: “We shall consider any further arrest of, or intimidating acts on members of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State between now and the elections of February 25 and March 11 an affront and resist same with all our might.

“We are aware that the reign of terror, which these developments represent, forms part of the strategies to rig the 2023 general elections. The factional PDP wants to steal power to govern Rivers State for a tiny clique without resistance but they have failed. Intimidated by the popular reception our governorship candidate draws across the state, the factional PDP is going for broke. But it should be clear to them by now that we are resolved never to surrender to their devious and dubious devices.

This democracy must be defended against the rule of one despot and his gang.” The state PDP Campaign Council, has, however, denied the allegations. Spokesman for the Council, Ogbonna Nwuke, said the PDP has no hands in the attacks in the state.