·Atiku group cancels presidential rally alleging threat of bloodshed but Wike counters, says it’s their Sekibo that is a killer
·You can’t fill a stadium up
By Ignatius Chukwu
The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State loyal to their presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has cried out to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and get other parties in the state to carry out rallies.
The Atiku group made the appeal while cancelling the presidential visit and rally of their candidate siting threat of bloodshed and issues with Gov Nyesom Wike.
The governor has however countered them, saying one of the leaders, Dr Abiye Sekibo, was rather the purveyor of bloodshed, asking him to account for the killing of the one-time regional chairman of the PDP, Chief A.K Dikibo who was killed several years ago.
This is the state of the PDP in Rivers State where one faction wants Atiku to win while the other faction wants only their governorship candidate, Sim Fubara to win.
Addressing newsmen in Port Harcourt, Lee Maeba, chairman of the state’s team, prayed the President and Commander-in-Chief, President Muhammadu Buhari, to act decisively as President of Nigeria by instructing and making sure the security agencies do their job in an impartial manner that they said would restore confidence and buy into the free and fair election being mouthed.
Maeba said; “In the light the above submission, we the State Campaign Council in total
constructive engagement with the National Presidential Campaign Council, the Candidate and the party, having seen and evaluated the bodily harm and hurt and potential death, believe that no loss of human life can be tolerated or accepted before, during, and after and agreed with our principals on the need to shelve and or cancel the rally to avoid any deaths.”
This reason for cancelling the rally planned for February 11, 2023, seemed to anger Wike who accused Sekibo a killer calling others killer.
He asked Sekibo, his former ally, to tell Rivers people who killed Dikibo and Gospel Biobele, a kinsman who he said wrote a petition to stop Sekibo from becoming minister, and allegedly died the next night.
Wike justified some of his allegation citing the report of the Eso Panel in the state under Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. He said the report indicted Sekibo on sponsorship of cult groups.
Wike had boasted that Atiku would not get any vote in Rivers State and went ahead to close the political space in the state with two Orders (21, 22) that practically make it impossible for any other party or candidate to hold rallies in the state without his approval.
In cancelling the Atiku rally, the PCC said it may be painful but is the best decision to take as no human death can be excused on the insistence of holding the rally due to the brigandage which the security agencies had not been able to rein in to restore confidence security-wise.
“We make bold to say so in the last preceding paragraph as Section 91(1) and (4) of the Electoral Act 2022 which gave the party the right to hold rally and processions with police and other security apparatus of the FG providing adequate security, but it is not forthcoming. We do not intent to take the laws into our hands believing and paying allegiance to the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria without derogation.”
The PCC in Rivers State traced their travels from May 2022 when Atiku emerged the candidate. They said Wike lobbied to be running mate but failed. “We will recall that because Atiku Abubakar did not choose Wike as a running mate, he was further let loose, resulting in his forming and leading a rebel group known as G-5 or Integrity Group purposely working against the candidate of the party.
They said the PDP appointed a PPC in Rivers State with Maeba as chairman and Sekibo as Director-General.
The stated that the governor in his avowed desire to scuttle and frustrate the campaign programme of the Party has carried out the following acts through his agents and acolytes.
List of anarchies:
“On the 19th August, 2022 the petroleum filling station of Chinyere Igwe alongside the hospitality business premises if Ogbonda and Ike Chinda were variously sealed by Wike’s verbal order for the “offence” of being the supporters of Atiku. The petroleum filling station has remained sealed up to this moment.
“On the 6th November, 2022, one Udo Nwankwoala was brutalized in company of Nnamdi Nwogu at Omumafor while pasting Atiku’s campaign posters. This was reported to the police with pictorial evidence but nothing was heard from the police till date.
“On the 8th December, 2022, bodily harm was inflicted on Sekibo and his property and persons in the house. This was reported to the police, instead of investigating the matters the Commissioner of Police Rivers State alleged that it was perpetrated by the Senator.”
“On the 10th December, 2022, the business premises of Levi Okparanta at Omagwa was sealed by the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government for the “offence” of pasting Atiku Abubakar campaign poster. This was also reported to the police but again no action was taken.
“On 14th December, 2022, one Rhino Owhohaire, the youth director of Atiku/Okowa Campaign Council was shot in his village Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Area and same was reported to the Police high command and nothing came out of it. Even when a suspect was arrested the government of Rivers State as an interested accomplice went and took him on bail.”
On the 5th February, 2023, some 31 members of the Atiku Support Group were arrested
in their meeting venue at GRA, Port Harcourt, and arraigned for remand at the correctional center in Port Harcourt on trumped up charges of unlawful assembly, conspiracy, and cultism on 6th February, 2023. They have been given 23rd March, 2023 as return date. The intention was to keep them out of the election.
“On the 9th February, 2023, Sekibo was informed that the venue earmarked for the PDP Presidential Campaign Rally was on fire at Rainbow Town and he was attacked when he went to ascertain the veracity of the information.
“The attack was done by the Police attached to the Government House, Port Harcourt. Fortunately, he escaped unhurt by divine providence but his vehicle was fatally damaged by a rain of bullets.”
The statement went on: “It is therefore instructive to note that all these narratives have indication in the vituperation and overt acts of Gov Wike when he openly branded members of PDP Presidential Council and all supporter of the presidential candidate as enemies of the State. He had vowed to crush them. Video evidence is available to support the assertion.”
Maeba said Wike admitted carrying out the attack on Sekibo and Maeba in his earlier statement at Eleme on Friday 10th February, 2023 boasting that armed robbers where chased away coming to take Government land and that they were lucky to run away before his arrival at the scene.
They cited other statements by Wike to show a link to the attacks the Atiku group suffered.
“On the apparent bad faith and the invidious design of the governor, he, after a long wait, approved the use of Adokiye Amesiamaka Stadium for the Presidential Rally, but upon the Campaign Council visiting the Stadium to ascertain the status of the facilities, he berated their visit and put a new rule as they would only visit the Stadium 48 hours to the fixed date of the Rally.
Regrettably and predictably, he stated, the governor canceled the approval on the excuse that the Atiku group wanted to hold a joint rally with APC in Rivers State on the approved date of 11th February, 2023, to foment trouble.
“This unstable and unreliable stand of the Campaign Council forced the PCC to scout for an alternative venue and got a private land at Rainbow Town Port Harcourt.
“The governor with the use of Government House Police and other hoodlums has thrown unabated violence and made it impossible to secure peaceful use of the facility.”
They said this is also part of the wider plot to maliciously put away members of the
Campaign council on frivolous charges until the Presidential Election is over.
