The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has petitioned the European Union (EU), calling for member nations to place visa bans on key actors fueling the growing tension after the outcome of the March 18 governorship and state assembly elections in Rivers.
A release from the party, made available to Tribune Online on Wednesday showed that the petition was signed by a chieftain of the Rivers APC, Joe Korka-Waadah.
The petition which had as its title ‘Call For Urgent Intervention Before The Situation In Rivers, Nigeria’s Oil Hub Implodes Into A Global Humanitarian Crisis’ requested the intervention of the EU, in resolving the dangerous threat to democracy in Rivers state.
“We (APC) implore your intervention in resolving the dangerous threat to democracy posed by the inciting irregularities in the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, particularly on desperate measures being employed by the ruling Rivers Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under Governor Nyesom Wike’s leadership to subvert the electoral will of the people.
“We spread our tentacles beyond the shores of Nigeria into the global stage in search of much needed viable timely intervention, worried that if the situation is allowed to implode into a national breakdown of law and order in Africa’s most populous country, the world may be too unprepared to contain the humanitarian crisis as a direct consequence.
“And we are compelled to look up to you among other critical global stakeholders knowing the EU over the years has demonstrated commitment to supporting steady push towards engendering enduring democracy in Nigeria as a culture as obtains in Europe, the US and other advanced democracies in the world.
“Hardly a year passes without the EU, its partner’s organisations and some member nations visiting Rivers and critical stakeholders on fact-finding missions to understand the development challenges with intent to deepening viable support at improving development, strengthening livelihoods, security as well as growing and protecting European investments in the oil-rich state, ” the petition reads in part.
The Canada-based APC chieftain further alleged; “Days to the March 18 governorship and state assemblies polls, hired thugs, posing as town criers in various communities came out warning that any resident not willing to vote PDP should stay away from election or have self to blame if he dares come out to vote any opposition.
“While this evil threat induced profound voter apathy to PDP’s advantage, compromising Rivers electorate’s will to vote their choice candidates, some of those who came out to vote opposition had bitter tales to tell, some did not live to share their ordeal as hired thugs carried out their pre-election threats.
“Of particular mention is the barbaric murder of the Director-General of APC and two agents in Ahoada West Local Government Area (LGA). Two of the agents and himself were killed over the governorship and state assembly elections.
“Post elections, between 25th and 26th March, Police on the orders of the governor broke into a Port Harcourt hotel apartment, harassed, arrested, detained and threatened lives of lawyers perfecting APC papers to file its case against the outcome of the election at the Elections Petition Tribunal. Police in the end released the lawyers unconditionally in a clear case of abuse of duty and unwarranted rights violation.
“A couple of days following, over APC peaceful protest to draw the attention of relevant institutions, INEC and security operatives, to the acts of provocation by the PDP, the ruling party’s hired thugs attacked the state APC secretariat. Governorship candidate of the party, Tony Cole was manhandled among other supporters, just as the armed thugs vandalised the party secretariat and several parked APC members’ cars with fierce shooting.
“It is within the right of anyone not comfortable with the outcome of an election and feels very strongly it was rigged with overwhelming evidence to freely seek legal redress as the APC is resolute on doing in Rivers State. For PDP to try to stop this process amounts to abuse of the democratic process.”
Waadah also alleged PDP occupation of the INEC, Rivers office and abduction of an APC lawyer after receiving election materials at the INEC office in furtherance of PDP’s determination to prevent the APC from filing its case against the outcome of the Rivers governorship election within the permitted time.
He stressed, “There is a limit, they say, to tolerance or patience. Under the tense atmosphere in which the PDP continues to provoke the opposition in Rivers, we fear an implosion of unimaginable proportion with the PDP exercising impunity under the watch of an indifferent police that turns blind eye to the defiance of the law and threat to society.
“Key state actors behind the conspiracy to subvert the will of the people are not faceless. We request the EU puts these elements on visa ban for their abuse of democracy. The use of the police by these individuals to intimidate and arrest dissenting voices is to scuttle the democratic process.
“All the APC and the opposition wants is to let the law prevail, allowing aggrieve parties the statutory right to seek lawful redress before we are forced to take to self help which we don’t want to.”
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