The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday night announced the abduction of one Dr. Godswill Dike, a lawyer, member of the party and brother to the State Legal Adviser of the party, Azubuike Dike, from the INEC, Rivers State office.
The party blamed the abduction on Edison Ehie, Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and Samuel Nwanosike, Chairman of Ikwerre local government area, who are conspicuously leaders of the PDP members who have been protesting at INEC office since Monday.
Calling the attention of the public to what it described as the “continuation of the very unsavoury developments and acts of aggression against us by the People’s Democratic Party in the state”
Darlington Nwauju, Publicity Secretary of the APC stated that Dr. Godswill Dike was invited to INEC office to take delivery of the certified true copies of the INEC documents that the party applied for pursuant to the provisions of Section 74 of the Electoral Act 2022 and was abducted by Nwanosike from the premises of INEC after he had signed for the CTCs of the documents.
He said, “Our initial reaction was to establish contact with the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Jackson Alalibo Semikien, to report the criminal abduction of the aforementioned Dr. Dike. Curiously, the REC who has done nothing beyond a Press Release two days ago directing political parties to proceed to LGA Offices of the Commission for the election documents they may require, told our governorship candidate emphatically that there was nothing the Commission can do, having released the documents we applied for to Dr. Godswill Dike.
“Contacts have also been made with the Deputy Speaker who assured his caller that Dr. Godswill Dike would return safe but the materials they took from him should be forgotten.
“Calls made by our governorship candidate to the military also yielded no fruit with the hierarchy stating that until the military receive invitation from the Police they cannot be involved in a purely civil operation.
“In this circumstance, we are left with no option but to call on the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to immediately go after the Deputy Speaker, Edison Ehie, and the Ikwerre Council Chairman, Samuel Nwanosike to safeguard the life of Dr. Godswill Dike and retrieve our election materials from his abductors”.
Nwauju recalled that the APC has been inundated with all sorts of attacks, arrests and other illegal actions allegedly by the ruling PDP in Rivers State to obstruct its quest for justice at the Elections Petitions Tribunal as allowed by law.
He alleged that the PDP were emboldened for the kidnap of Dr. Godswill Dike while alleging Governor Nyesom Wike of endorsing illegal obstruction of opposition parties seeking to access the Commission’s Headquarters ahead of filing their petitions, adding that despite having beig subjected to several acts of provocation by the ruling party, the APC had maintained equanimity of spirit to keep the peace in the state regretting that yet, the opponents were not about to allow the peace reign.
“Consequently, we call on the President and Commander-in-Chief to rise to the occasion by calling the Governor of Rivers State to order and rescue our dear state from the anarchists who are hell bent on self-perpetuation in power or destruction of Rivers State where their undemocratic plot fails. Up until now, we have done our bit as a law-abiding party as the rest of the nation has taken notice. The APC is asking that Governor Nyesom Wike and the PDP be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order in Rivers State”.
The Rivers State Police Command was yet to make any statement on the incident as at the time of filing this story late Thursday night as text messages sent to the PPRO on the matter went unanswered.
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