PDP Condemns Magnus Abe’s Call For Violence, Says He Is Exceedingly Desperate, Irresponsible

… Calls for His Arrest, Prosecution

The Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP says it is quite unfortunate and disappointing seeing the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Mr. Magnus Abe, demonstrating acts of frustration, desperation and gangsterism, describing his directive to members of the APC to kill and conduct themselves violently as irresponsible, unwarranted and condemnable.

Magnus Abe

Mr. Abe during a press briefing in his private residence in Port Harcourt, instigated members of the APC to kill, fight and cause trouble in Rivers State, an action that should not be ignored or taken for granted by Rivers people, the International Community and of course, the security agencies.

The PDP says although, Mr. Abe’s violent disposition has never been in doubt but considering the exulted office he seeks to be voted in and the Saint in recent times he claimed to be, Mr. Magnus Abe ought to have stopped engaging in and encouraging violence, even as such is abhorred in any civilized society.

The Party feels extremely worried over the unrepentant attitude of Mr. Abe, whose desperation to represent those who do not want him to represent them has made him to adopt a do or die approach not only in his pattern of politics but in his entire life activities.

Mr. Abe has continued to show that he is one politician, who wants to acquire political power by all means, without minding if blood is spilled.

The directive from Mr. Magnus Ngei Abe to his APC members to take up arms clearly corroborates the position of the people that he (Abe) has been behind all atrocities in the area, and he and the APC should be held responsible for the breakdown of law and order in not only the area but the entire State.

It would be recalled that Mr. Abe has been linked to virtually all inter and intra communal crises in parts of Ogoni and most political violence in the area. One of the most recent was the incident in Yeghe, Bori, Bo-ue and Zaapkon communities on Monday 22 and Tuesday 23, March, 2016, which led to the killing of over 15 innocent persons, including  pregnant women, a Pastor and students.

It is also on record that preceding the March 19^th re-run elections, especially on the 18^th, heavily armed APC thugs were brought in and camped in Tai LGA, at the home of one Hycienth Ndike and John  Abie, who are chieftains of the APC, on an assignment to deliver the area to the party. These thugs, at about 2.30am, lodged deadly attack on the community, targeting PDP supporters, who were eventually chased out of the community to pave way for massive rigging of the re-run elections in the area. This incident also culminated into the shooting of a pregnant woman, Mrs. Baby Nzuugha, a mother of four children, in their attempt to hijack electoral materials to the home of Mr. Barry Mpigi, another APC chieftain and contestant in the election.

While urging the people to resist being incited and used to cause mayhem in the State, and instead ask Mr. Abe to engage his family members in such deadly assignment,  the PDP advises its members in the area to remain peaceful and law abiding in the face of provocation by Magnus Abe and the APC.

The Party also welcomes Mr. Abe’s consideration of withdrawing from the race as contained in his statement, saying since it is obvious that popular opinion does not favour him as he is not the choice of the people the best option for him is to admit defeat honourably and throw in the towel accordingly if actually he is a man of honour.

The Party again reiterates its call on the security agencies and the International Community to arrest and prosecute Mr. Magnus Abe accordingly.

PDP Condemns Magnus Abe’s Call For Violence, Says He Is Exceedingly Desperate, Irresponsible

Rivers State Violence: Senator Magnus Abe Calls on Supporters to Defend Themselves, Rest Being Killed

Senator Magnus Ngei Abe,All Progressives Congress(APC) candidate in the Rivers South East Senatorial District re-run election has called on all APC supporters across the Rivers South East Senatorial District to take whatever step necessary to defend themselves and protect their lives and property if attacked by PDP thugs and supporters.

Senator Magnus Abe

Speaking at a Press conference in Port Harcourt, Abe said that the decision was taken after a careful review of the security situation in the district where PDP had armed their supporters with automatic rifles and dynamites.

“From today, if anybody opens fire on members of the APC anywhere in my senatorial district,there will be a response. Anybody who has two heads should bring out his second head to do whatever he wants to do within the senatorial district that would affect the lives or threaten the lives of members of the APC. We will no longer tolerate it. We are not women only. We are not children only. We are men, women and youths that are members of this party. From now on, we will defend ourselves; we will protect our members and do whatever is necessary to secure our lives and secure the lives of our members”.

Abe recalled that in Gokana, where Mr. Kenneth Kobani was arrested for disrupting the election that hell was let loose when PDP supporters opened fire with assault rifles on everybody who was there and threw dynamites and bombs in the INEC office.

He stated that if not for the presence of soldiers, it would have got out of hand.

The former Secretary to Rivers State Government said that after the incident, armed thugs of PDP matched with their guns and dangerous weapons in B-Dere and several communities, destroying property of members of All Progressives Congress (APC).

He further stated that when he heard about adequate security presence in the state for the election, he had thought that there would be checkpoints everywhere, but was surprised that only few policemen were at INEC office while, the rest of the local government area were without police presence.

“We expected that given all that have been said about the expectation of violence in Rivers State that the entire state will be in lock down, there will be checkpoints, police and soldiers everywhere, unfortunately, that did not happen. There was zero security presence. Even when it became clear that lives of INEC Adhoc Staff were being threatened and in jeopardy, nothing much was done to protect their lives not to talk of our own supporters of the APC, who have become an endangered species in Rivers State”.

Abe said despite this lawlessness, there had not been any meaningful investigation by the security agents.

He stated that in the light of this, that he was faced with two alternatives, either to withdraw or for APC members and supporters to defend themselves.

“Therefore, in the light of the present situation, we have no other option than to either withdraw from the race or call on our members to defend themselves as we go forward. Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, given the overwhelming support that I enjoy from the people of the Rivers South East Senatorial District, I cannot withdraw from the race. We are on a journey that can only end in victory because we have the people with us”.

The APC leader revealed that immediately after the shooting incidence at the INEC office, that PDP thugs had the effrontery to match towards his house open fire around the premises.

He thanked God and the policemen attached to his residence who resisted them, pointing out that it would have been a different story.

Abe narrated what he had suffered while trying to maintain peace and be a gentle man such as the burning of his building at Bori, carrying of coffin written with his name on it as well as attack on him and his supporters on three occasions during rallies.

He also mentioned the cases of attack on his supporters such as Mr. Pabbi, who was abducted in front of his family and had not been seen till today and Mr. Court, who was killed in obnoxious manner.

Abe advised Governor Nyesom Wike to direct PDP thugs to stop the destruction of billboards in Rivers South East Senatorial District and not to attack APC supporters again.

“The governor has said that he is going to start his campaign from my senatorial district. On behalf of members of APC, we welcome him and the PDP team to come and campaign in our senatorial district. Nobody should harass them and nobody should try to stop them or do anything to them. They should be allowed to carry on their own campaign. In the same vein, I want to appeal to Gov. Nyesom Wike to also appeal to his own supporters to stop the destruction of our billboards in my senatorial district. They should also stop any attack on any member of the APC in our senatorial district. People have talked about people calling for a State of Emergency. I don’t want to call for State of Emergency. But, he has his own army. It is time that he advises his army in the interest of the state, which he governs not to operate in Rivers South East Senatorial District. If they do so, our people will respond and respond overwhelmingly”.

Abe commended his supporters for believing in his principles.

“I thank our supporters who have cautioned, restrained and conducted themselves beyond measure. In the face of death and threat, they have been compelled to behave like women and children, when they obviously have the capacity to defend themselves, out of respect for me”.

“Today, I hereby call upon them to please respond in any situation where any member of our party is threatened. To please respond in any situation where any member of our party is killed. To please respond in any situation where property belonging to any member of APC in the Rivers South East Senatorial District is destroyed”.

Rivers State Violence: Senator Magnus Abe Calls on Supporters to Defend Themselves, Rest Being Killed

Magnus Abe Instigates Army Return To Ogoni Again

…As 17 Persons Confirmed Killed In Yeghe

The residents of Yeghe Community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State and other communities in Khana and Tai Local Government Areas respectively who fled their homes for safety following the killing of over 17 innocent persons by men of the Nigerian Army led by Captain Mustapha, drafted to the area by Magnus Abe and Barry Mpigi and were back home based on assurances given to them by the Governor, Barr Nyesom Wike, when he visited the area have again fled their communities following rumour that the Nigerian military was coming to the area for mass arrest.

Magnus Abe

Recall that last week troops of fully armed soldiers had invaded Yeghe community and shut and killed over 17 persons while combing for the ex-Niger Delta agitator, Chief Solomon Ndigbara on the orders of Magnus Abe and Barry Mpigi.

Following the rumour on Sunday, life in the community was lonesome as some residents were seen going out from the community. Some other residents who do not have where to travel to said they would hang around to see the actions of the military.

Speaking to newsmen, the Paramount ruler of Bua Yeghe, HRH. Chief Barinada Barine disclosed that there is heavy tension in the community over the news of re-invasion of the area by the military for mass arrest.

Barine who spoke, Sunday, February 28, 2016, when a delegation of Chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Rivers South East Senatorial District led by the Secretary to the State Government, Hon. Kenneth Kobani visited the community to donate some food items to the community said the community has been thrown into tension.

The monarch pleaded with the local, state and federal governments, and other well meaning individuals to intervene, adding that the community would be sacked if nothing was done.

“We heard that army are coming to Yeghe again for mass arrest tomorrow, Monday March 29, 2016 or any other day not known to us. As I am talking now, there is already four vans loaded with soldiers in Bori.”

“We don’t know what their mission is again in this place. We are afraid. If not that today is Sunday you wouldn’t have seen anybody around.

“I want to plead with army authority and the government to help us remove the army because we not fighting war here.”

He also thanked the State Governor, Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and Chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Rivers South East Senatorial District for remembering the people in their time of sorrow and trouble, adding that the people need peace.

Meanwhile, the army have been provided accommodation, by Magnus Abe at the defunct Social Democratic Party, SDP secretariat along Bori Road, opposite Bori Police Station.

Magnus Abe, Barry Mpigi Maurice Poronem and other APC Chieftains in Ogoni, were seen with the army in the area on Sunday.

It would be recalled that in 1995 during the military invasion of Ogoni and killing of prominent Ogoni leaders, including Ken Saro-Wiwa, Magnus Abe and Barry Mpigi were also at the centre of the controversy

Magnus Abe Instigates Army Return To Ogoni Again

Yeghe Crisis: A script to malign me - Senator Magnus Abe

Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the Rivers South East Senatorial District re-run election has disclosed a conspiracy hatched by Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to malign his character and incite the Ogoni people against him before the March 19, 2016 State and National Assembly re-run elections. Speaking at Silverbird Rhythm fm 93.7 news and current affairs programme tagged:”The View Point”, in Port Harcourt, Abe said that the case of the military approved by Gov. Wike to raid the home of ex-militant leader Solomon Ndigbara was the script the governor and the party were using to malign his character and incite his people against him.

He said that he knew nothing about the operation and had no part in it. He wondered why the governor would sponsor a social media attack where he was described as a desperate politician who would want to win at all cost with the blood of his people. He said those who knew him would testify that he had never been a desperate politician. Senator Abe recalled that when the caucuses in the Senatorial District endorsed him in 2003, and the leadership of the party said otherwise and chose Senator Lee Maeba that he quickly supported Maeba without fighting him.

He further recalled that when his party did not approve of his ambition to be the governor of Rivers State, he did not fight the party neither did he give them personal conditions but rather presented only the interest of the Ogoni.

He also stated that when Nyesom Wike was detained by the EFCC, he went to EFCC to obtain his release insisting that without the release of Wike that he would not leave. This, he said, compelled the EFCC to detain him together with Wike.

He said that a person with such antecedent could not be referred to as a desperate politician. “I want to say clearly that Rivers people know that I am not a desperate politician and will never be. Between me and Governor Wike who is desperate for power”, he said.

Yeghe Crisis: A script to malign me - Senator Magnus Abe

Yeghe Crisis: We condemn the mindless blackmail against Abe, APC

The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress APC says in line with its position to be cautious and circumspect about security matters has restrained itself from making hasty comments on the security operations by the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in Rivers State particularly in Yeghe, Gokana Local Government.

PDP

The party in a statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary Chris Finebone said, “however, given the unsavoury statements by some opportunistic individuals before and after the recent violence in the Khana and Gokana axis, especially the ongoing barrage of propaganda and blackmail ostensibly sponsored by the Rivers State Government against Senator Magnus Ngei Abe and other APC leaders in the area, it has become imperative for the APC to correct certain destructive narrative being bandied through the media to deceive the Ogonis, Rivers people and Nigerians.”

The APC noted that it has become pertinent to state that the violence that manifested in the past couple of days in Ogoni was planted, watered and nurtured by the incendiary remarks made by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike at the birthday ceremony of Senator Lee Maeba when he [the governor] asked the Ogonis to do everything possible to ensure that Senator Magnus Abe is stopped from winning the Rivers South-East Senatorial seat during the forthcoming rerun elections.

The statement reads: “The above statement set the stage for the unfolding debacle of violence that befell Bori earlier this week. Fired by the governor’s war cry, a group of cultists and hoodlums on the payroll of the PDP descended on Senator Magnus Abe’s campaign liaison building in Bori and razed it down. Despite the huge loss, Senator Abe promptly appealed to his supporters to remain calm and not to seek revenge.

“The APC notes that while the decision by the Rivers State Security Council headed by Governor Nyesom Wike authorised and therefore was aware of the security operations in Ogoni to sanitise the area of criminals, the Rivers State Government has resorted to sponsoring persons and individuals to use the media to blackmail Senator Magnus Abe as the person responsible for the presence of the military in Ogoniland. The government is also vigorously blackmailing the military by activating their stooges to occupy the airwaves condemning the military. The APC unequivocally condemns this sort of dishonest and despicable behaviour by officials of the Rivers State Government.

“Worse still, it appears that top officials of the State Government might have compromised the privileged information about the security operations by the Army, resulting in the escape of key suspects with PDP links and also exposing the military personnel to danger as they were reportedly ambushed by well-armed militants at the onset of the operation.

“The APC condemns the ongoing campaign of calumny against Senator Magnus Abe, Hon. Barry Mpigi and other leaders of APC in Ogoniland. We vehemently condemn the attempt by the Rivers State Government to use faceless persons to blackmail the APC by trying to weave and sell wrong narrative about the real security issues and circumstances in Ogoniland. We condemn any attempt by some individuals, no matter how highly placed, to use misguided youths to cause disaffection amongst the Ogonis with a view to rendering the people politically unviable and irrelevant. Who is afraid of a united Ogoni?”

Yeghe Crisis: We condemn the mindless blackmail against Abe, APC

PDP Flays Magnus Abe’s Stance on Implementation of UNEP Report in Ogoni

 …Calls On Ogoni People To Beware Of His Antics

…Commends MOSOP’s Resolute Position

 

The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, says it is most disappointed and shocked over the unpatriotic and condemnable position of Mr. Magnus Abe on the anticipated implementation of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Report Recommendations on the cleanup of Ogoniland.

PDP

The PDP views Abe’s position in which he dissociated himself from the 30 days ultimatum given to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Oil Multinationals by the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, to commence the implementation of the UNEP report in Ogoni as antagonistic, betrayal and a clear demonstration of his hate and denial of his Ogoni people and by extension the suffering peoples and communities of the devastated Niger Delta region.

For us, this is not a position someone like Abe, who ought to have supported the genuine demands of his people; identify with their cause for justice; and help in ventilating the grievances, plights and environmental devastation of his people and area, at every forum, including the federal level and before the international communities, for redress.

Unfortunately, we see Abe not only making surreptitious efforts in thwarting the MOSOP cause, but unequivocally and publicly criticizing and denying his people the possibilities of development and safe environment.

Although, Magnus Abe’s antecedents on the issue of Ogoni struggle for justice have not really been contradicted by his recent statement against MOSOP position, but our concern is the fact that we expected some significant positive shift in his known anti-MOSOP attitude and general insensitivity towards the struggle and other Ogoni development affairs but nothing seems to have changed. He remains the Magnus Abe he has always being.

One would have believed that as an Ogoniman, who he claims to be, the former Senator ought to have shown some semblance of patriotism, particularly on this very important issue of Ogoni clean up.

What Magnus Abe has done therefore confirmed his true position as always an enemy of his people and someone that should not be entrusted with any further leadership or representative position at any level in government.

While we commend the Ogoni people and the leadership of MOSOP on their united and consistent stand on the cleanup of their heavily polluted area, according to the UNEP report, we urge them to reject and resist any move by the self-seeking politician (Abe) and his co-travelers of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as their main aim is to hand over Ogoni again to the slave masters, who do not wish the Ogoni people safe environment and better representation in government at all levels.

One way we think the people of Ogoni can forestall the retrogressive ambition of chameleonic politicians like Abe is to ensure they are not elected into any arm of government. Even though we expect him (Abe) to apologize to the peoples of Ogoni and the entire Niger Delta, and denounce his opposition to the views of his people, this development should be an eye-opener.

PDP Flays Magnus Abe’s Stance on Implementation of UNEP Report in Ogoni

Must Read: Magnus Abe Writes President Buhari

27th August, 2015 His Excellency

The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,

President Muhammadu Buhari,

GCFR Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja.

Your Excellency Sir,

ALLEGATION OF POLITICIZATION OF SECURITY AGENCIES (NIGERIAN ARMY AND STATE SECURITY SERVICE) AGAINST THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) RIVERS STATE CANDIDATES IN THE MARCH 28, 2015 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS: OUR RESPONSE

Senator Magnus Abe

I respectfully write this letter as a response to the malicious and baseless petition written to you by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State in the National Assembly, alleging and pointedly accusing myself and some members of our party, All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State of politicizing the Nigerian Army and the Directorate of State Security by making them to testify in our favour before the Election Tribunal that is currently hearing the various petitions filed by myself and my colleagues against the National Assembly elections in Rivers State held on 28th of March, 2015.

The said petition written to you by the PDP was severally published in both print and online media. I therefore write this response for myself and on behalf of all the APC candidates that contested the election and who are also presently petitioners in their respective petitions against the elections, pending before the Election Tribunal, sitting in Abuja.

Sir, the purported petition written to you by the PDP was no doubt written in bad faith and same was a cheap attempt to mislead your good self and indeed the general public on what actually transpired at the Tribunal and the surrounding circumstances. Furthermore, the petition was calculated to ridicule and paint in bad light, the highly revered institution of the Nigerian Army and the office of the Director General of the Department of State Security. For the record, it is pertinent to clearly state that what transpired at the Tribunal was that the Honourable Tribunal, at the request of the Petitioners (myself and other petitioners) issued a subpoena directed at the Chief of Army Staff (or any of his designated officers) and the Director-General of the DSS (or any of his designated officers) to appear before the Tribunal and give evidence of what they witnessed during the conduct of the National Assembly election in Rivers State on 28th march, 2015, being some of the security agencies that provided security for the said elections. A subpoena is an instrument of law with which a court or tribunal compels any person, with useful information or document in respect of a case before it, to appear before the court/tribunal and give such evidence and/or tender relevant documents. It is an order of the court directed at the person named therein, which must be obeyed, lest the person so named in it becomes liable for contempt of court. It was under these circumstances that the Honourable Tribunal summoned the Chief of Army Staff or his officers and the Director-General of DSS to appear before it and give oral evidence of what they witnessed during the conduct of the elections in question.

It is therefore mischievous and indeed unreasonable for anybody, especially the PDP, Rivers State to cast baseless aspersion on these gallant officers of the Nigerian Army and the DSS. One can only wonder whether it would not have been foolhardy for the Chief of Army Staff and the D. G. of the DSS to refuse to comply with the sacrosanct order of the Tribunal. In fact, such an act would not only have been foolish, same is indeed a crime as refusal to comply with the tenor of a subpoena is out-rightly punishable with a criminal contempt proceeding against the culprit.

Interestingly, the writers of the said petition deliberately refused to disclose to you in their petition that apart from the Chief of Army Staff and D. G of the DSS, the same subpoena was also issued against the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Rivers State, Mrs. Gesila Khan. No doubt, this willful concealment is a manifestation of the unholy alliance existing between the Rivers State PDP and Mrs. Gesila Khan. It is on record that despite numerous applications and solicitation to the REC for release of electoral materials purportedly used by INEC (led by the REC in Rivers state), she has consistently refused to release the said documents to us, in order to frustrate and jeopardize our chances in the proof of our respective cases before the election Tribunal. This is inspite of the fact that we duly paid for all the assessed fees charged by INEC for the issuance of certified true copies of these electoral materials to us. Sir, in furtherance of her criminal stand to compromise our cases before the Tribunal, the REC, in a never-before-seen manner, instructed INEC’s team of lawyers to apply to set aside the subpoena issued by the Tribunal against her to present the electoral materials before the election tribunal. One cannot but wonder why a supposedly “neutral” and “unbiased” umpire would be afraid of presenting before the Tribunal, the electoral materials purportedly used for the conduct of the election, which she claimed was peaceful and properly conducted in accordance with the rules and regulations. Her actions so far confirm that she surely has a lot of skeletons in her cupboard, which the subpoena is about to blow open. No wonder, she would do anything to cover her wrongful and illegal communion with the PDP in Rivers State, including attempt at setting aside a lawful order of the Honourable Tribunal.

That members of the Nigerian Army or the DSS gave evidence before the tribunal, on the order of the Honourable Tribunal itself, is not and can never constitute a politicization of the Army or any other security agency in similar situation. A court of law and/or tribunal, in the course of hearing all sides to a case and ultimately doing justice, is empowered to summon and compel relevant persons to give evidence before it. This is exactly what was done in this case. These gallant officers, in upholding their mantra of patriotism and nationalism, swore to say the truth and nothing but the truth before the Tribunal. The most important thing is that they gave evidence of what they witnessed on the election day, and nothing more. Only those who are afraid of the truth would prevent eye witnesses from recounting their experiences during the said elections.

The PDP members who wrote this petition are only crying foul when nothing is amiss. The military officers that gave evidence were ordered to do so by the Tribunal and not by APC members, who are the petitioners before the Tribunal. These military officers are not in the group of witnesses whose written depositions were filed by the APC’s lawyers. In fact, they testified before the Honourable Tribunal without any written deposition, unlike what is the case with conventional witnesses called by the petitioners (APC members) at the trial of their petition. What is more, the PDP members, who are Respondents to the petitions before the Tribunal and the writers of this baseless petition, are also at liberty under the law to apply for issuance of the same subpoena by the Honourable Tribunal to order any person/ authority, including the Chief of Army Staff and D-G, DSS, to come and give evidence before the Tribunal.

Application for the issuance of subpoena by the Tribunal is not a prerogative of the APC members in the various election petitions before the Tribunal. This is what is expected of these PDP petition writers, instead of whipping up unnecessary bias against a lawful and binding order of the Honorable Tribunal.

Sir, it is our position that if there is anyone to be called to order on this issue, it is nobody but the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner for Rivers State, Mrs. Gesila Khan, who may as well go down in history as the only INEC official in our country to have applied for the setting aside of a court subpoena, by filing an application in that regard. I make bold to say that the reputation which Prof. Attahiru Jega built for INEC in the recent past is constantly being eroded by the activities of people like the REC in Rivers State and it is only a matter of time for the institution to be reverted to the pre – Jega era, if the REC is not called to order now.

On the contrary, we are of the firm belief that the Chief of Army Staff, the DG, DSS and their men ought to be tremendously commended for upholding the rule of law and constitutionalism. It is only when institutions of government respect and obey the law, as done by the Nigerian Army and DSS in this case, that the general public too can follow suit. It is high time that we departed from the tradition of institutional impunity and embrace profound respect for the rule of law.

Your Excellency, this petition is just another one in the series of such letters/petitions geared towards whipping up unfavourable sentiment targeted against members of our party. Your administration’s fight against corruption and lawlessness cannot be tarnished by baseless and spurious insinuations of nepotism as depicted by this petition. We fully believe in your capacity to identify mischievous allegations such as this and we humbly urge you to disregard the said petition as same carries no weight. What ought to be done are as highlighted above and we are confident that your Excellency would, once again thread the path of truth and constitutionality on this matter since it is only by so doing that we can together build a Nigeria of our dream. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Yours faithfully,

Senator Magnus Ngei Abe

Must Read: Magnus Abe Writes President Buhari

APC Protest: Police teargas Peterside, Magnus Abe, others at INEC office

Security operatives yesterday tear-gassed Rivers State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the April 11 election, Dakuku Peterside, and Senator Magnus Abe at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.

Hon. Dakuku Peterside

Peterside and Abe led a team of 48 candidates who contested in various elections in the state and reporters to submit a protest letter to INEC’s Acting Chairman, Hajia Amina Zakari, against the state Resident Electoral Commission (REC) for allegedly refusing to give them certified true copies (CTC) of the materials used in the elections.

The APC candidates, who arrived at the INEC headquarters at 11:15am, were prevented from getting close to the gate by a combined team of mobile police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The security agencies insisted that the team would not be allowed to go beyond the barricaded areas since it had no prior information of the visit.

INEC’s Deputy Director in charge of security, Victor Egbun, told the party stalwarts that they could only send a representative to meet the commission’s acting chairman and submit their protest letter to her.

The team comprised former House of Representatives members, like Andrew Uchendu, Otelemaba Amachree, Dawari George, Igochukwu Aguma, former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and Rivers State APC Chairman Denis Ebiamo Ikanya.

The security officials threatened to shoot the party chieftains, if they crossed the barricaded areas.

This forced them to raise their voices and move towards the INEC gate, which the security operatives had locked.

As the APC chieftains approached the gate, chanting solidarity songs, the security officials released some canisters of tear gas in front of them and reporters to disperse the crowd.

Peterside said: “We are candidates of the APC at various categories in the last elections. We are here to register our protest to INEC.

“Immediately after the elections, in accordance with the law, we applied for the certified true copies of documents used in the conduct of the elections.

“It is unfortunate that till date, we have not got the certified copies of the election materials, even when it is clear in the law that it must be released within seven days of receiving the application. As if that was not enough, we have approached various tribunals, which have also ordered the release of the materials. But unfortunately, those orders have not been complied with till date.

“We do not have the documents to prosecute our cases. INEC in Rivers State has done everything humanly possible to frustrate our cases at the various tribunals. Dame Ghesilla Khan, who is Rivers State REC, has insisted that she was under instruction from the national office not to release the documents to us. That is why we are here to deliver our protest to INEC’s Acting Chairman.

“We have written between 26 and 27 petitions on this issue and we have not got any serious response. We are aware that the acting chairman has made several memos to the Rivers REC, asking her to comply with the law by releasing the required materials. But she has wilfully refused to comply with the law by releasing and properly certifying those documents for us to use to prosecute our cases at the various tribunals.

“All we need is for INEC to abide by the law, by releasing to us all the certified materials we have requested for. We are not asking anybody to do us any order favour. The Electoral Act is very clear: if you apply within a period of seven days, those documents must be released to you.

“I am shocked that our peaceful request and visit today was greeted with canisters of tear gas which INEC officials have ordered their security operatives to suffocate us with.”

Senator Abe expressed surprise at the way security officials treated the APC team.

The lawmaker urged the government to investigate the incident.

He noted that INEC security officials violated the delegates’ human rights by using tear gas, since they were peaceful.

Abe said: “This singular act of the Rivers REC, if not checked, could lead to a breach of the peace in the state. Our simple request is now being frustrated by the same INEC that caused the crisis in the state. The only way to ensure peace in Rivers State is to ensure that INEC obeys the law and releases those documents to allow our cases to be determined by law. We, as law-abiding citizens, will obey the outcome of our cases at the various tribunals.

“But a situation where the same person, who created this same situation, is allowed to frustrate the case, I do not know how our people would take that. Nigerians need to be aware that Rivers State is still a flashpoint, if these issues are not dealt with expeditiously…”

INEC’s Director of Security, Shettima Ngilade, after two hours, urged the APC team to obey the directives of INEC Acting Chairman and send only their representatives.

He said: “…This is a public place. We cannot refuse you entry into the premises; we have procedures of doing things.

“With the way you arrived, we had every reason to fear because even the Rivers State Electoral Commissioner is inside, meeting with the Acting Chairman. There was no prior information about your coming to the commission for us to arrange so that you can see the Acting Chairman.

“What we can only do here is to allow a few of your representatives to go inside and meet with the ACTING Chairman or you hand over your protest letter to us to give her. We cannot allow you to move in this your numbers.”

APC Protest: Police teargas Peterside, Magnus Abe, others at INEC office

Peterside endorsement: Amaechi endorsed a known cultist - PDP accuses

By Ehi Ekhator, Naija Center News

The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the goernor, Rotimi Amaechi of endorsing an alleged cultist, Hon. Dakuku Peterside, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship flagbearer.

Rotimi Amaechi

The party in a statement signed by the special Adviser on Media to the State Chairman, Bro Felix Obuah, Jerry Needam, said despite Amaechi’s earlier needless outburst, he still went ahead to elect a cultist to take over the reins of governance in the State next year.

According to the PDP, it’s now clear why Amaechi decided to cry wolf when there was no need for such.

“Knowing the caliber of names paraded for screening by our party to ensure we don’t leave anything to chance, we shuddered when Amaechi came up with that image smearing campaign. We can now understand he only wanted to pre-empt us knowing full well that he was going to endorse Dakuku Peterside, a well known cultist as the APC consensus candidate”, the PDP declared.

The PDP insists all these antics are well known and cannot deter it from pursuing with vigor the important need of saving the Rivers people from his police regime under the control of the self-seeking cabal of which he is the leader.

“May we state it for the umpteen time that the PDP, as a responsible party will not tow the path of Amaechi and his APC, and cannot contemplate fielding a cultist on our platform as he has done.

“We wish to reassure the good people of Rivers that whatever antics he employs, it will amount to futility as the PDP has grown more than he can stop, the party declared.”

NAIJA CENTER NEWS learned that all is not well in the APC in Rivers state as PDP and APC started their blame game. The APC acused PDP of masterminding the protest that took place at the front of the government house, by renting some never do well youth in the community.

Amaechi woes had deepened since he endorsed Hon. Peterside as the APC coonsensus candidate in the state. The Ogonis immediately took to the state house to protest against the decision to choose Peterside over Hon. Magnus Abe.

The Ogonis accused Amaechi of using Hon. Abe to fight all his deadly wars and then dumped him. they also said he assured them that their son would click the governorship ticket until Amaechi betrayed them.

 

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Peterside endorsement: Amaechi endorsed a known cultist - PDP accuses