Before the Presidential and National Assembly election across the country yesterday, uncertainty and tension continued to rule the waves in Rivers threatening the exercise in the state.
One of the biggest threats was the flat declaration by some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that elections would not hold without their party. They refused to say how that would be achieved.
Governor Nyesom Wike and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) however, repeatedly said they knew how the APC wanted to achieve it, saying they were working with the Army and SARS to cage the PDP and make voting impossible.
Already, the PDP Campaign Council in the state has cried out, saying soldiers from 6 Army Division in Port Harcourt have occupied the home of their chairman, Ferdinand Alabraba in Abonnema.
Many Rivers’ people appeared utterly apprehensive whether the elections would hold or not. In a crowded press conference in Port Harcourt Tuesday afternoon, the Director-General of the Campaign Council, Nigeria’s former Ambassador to South Korea, Desmond Akawor, who is the Administrator of the Greater PH City Development Authority, said evidence had emerged that the Army and SARS have teamed up with the APC to stop the elections, just as he said APC had threatened through Tonye Princewill .
The DG recalled the three times he said the Kalabari prince publicly stated that elections would not hold in Rivers State as long as the APC was not allowed to contest. He said Transportation Minister, Chibuike Amaechi, sang a war song in the presence of President Muhammadu Buhari warning that it was time for war.
He mentioned instances of movement of soldiers and clampdown on PDP leaders in some local council areas of the state. “Indeed, in Okrika Local Government Area, indigenes and residents were physically barred by masked gun-trotting soldiers from returning home as early as 6.00 p.m. on Friday 15th February 2019 on the directives of the General Officer Commanding the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Jamil Sarham,” he said.
He particularly mentioned an incident at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) where he said the Army general prevented INEC from distributing materials to the LGAs. “We are also aware that the military has planned to cordon off collation centres across the State and prevent PDP agents’ access to these centres in order to rig the rescheduled elections on Saturday February 23 2019. Furthermore, information available to us indicates that APC has procured armed thugs, military uniforms and branded military and police vehicles for the purpose of rigging the rescheduled elections.”
The APC said meetings held at a minister’s house in Abuja that were intercepted showed sinister plans to be unleashed on Rivers State. The PDP called on Nigerians and the international community to intervene. The party however, warned that no one had monopoly of violence, saying it is capable of mobilising the people to action to vote.
The APC, reacted to the claims of the PDP, saying it was not true. On their own, the Army (6 Division) spokesman, a colonel, Aminu Iliyasu, said it had no business with election rigging but were out against election riggers and merchants of violence.
More alarms are emanating from more quarters crying out against the Army. Governor Wike has declared that the General Officer Commanding 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, a Major-General, Jamil Sarham, has planned the arrest of 10 Local Government Council chairmen in the state in a bid to scuttle the elections in the state.
Addressing journalists on Thursday, well ahead of the elections Governor Wike alleged that the intention of the GOC 6 Division of the Nigerian Army was to generate insecurity and violence through undue provocation of the people.
The governor added that the GOC 6 Division of the Nigerian Army has also penciled down 182 persons who would be arrested across the 23 Local Government Areas. He said majority were PDP members.
Governor Wike said: “The GOC 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Jamil Sarham has stated that he will arrest the Chairman of Ikwerre, Abua/Odual, Mayor of Port Harcourt, Chairman of Bonny and Degema Local Government Area. Other Chairmen to be arrested by the GOC include Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru, Gokana, Khana and Eleme Local Government Areas”.
The governor noted: “What offence have these council chairmen committed to warrant this illegal intimidation? If they committed any offences, were these offences committed within the election period? Why were they noted arrested before now. These are the actions that will lead to crisis. Allow the people to vote freely and their votes must count. Rivers people must be allowed to vote”.
He expressed concern that the security agencies were misinterpreting the Presidential Directive on ballot box snatching. He said that the Nigerian Army and the Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad have seen the directive as a leeway to kill innocent people, even when the Army and Police are the real culprits. He continued to hold the former governor and now minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, responsible for the plans. This was also how the then governor used to accuse Wike, then a minister, responsible for several violent plans and actions until the then minister won as governor and took over power in the state. The APC has said they too would use same strategy to take back power, just that there is no candidate to face Wike.
APC’s game plan?
The APC in the state keeps hoping that they would have their space in the ballot back, but INEC says they abide by the Supreme Court judgment. The APC said those judgments were from motions and that the substantive case is at the Court of Appeal. They have won a stay of execution and hope to win their contention that the High Court had no right to entertain the case. Then, INEC would have to put them back.
Many think that due to the short period, APC may want disruption of the elections to enable the courts order them back. Wike seems to smell such rat and is raising all the alarm.
Magnus Abe threatens to approach Supreme Court
The factional leader of the party, Magnus Abe, has lost his quest to be the one to occupy the ballot space for APC but this was thrown out by the Appeal Court. He has notified to go to the Supreme Court.
This may achieve two things; create uncertainty in the ownership of the slot between him and Tonye Cole, and make him the eventual winner even after elections, should the APC win a right for rerun. This seems to annoy the Amaechi faction of the party because they see a spoiler’s role in this. They also say it was Wike actually fighting them, not Abe.
INEC REC accused
The APC has often accused the INEC REC in the state, Obo Effanga, of being against the party but in support of Wike and the PDP. They point to his speed in obeying a court order asking the APC to be removed but not giving any heed to the stay of executions issued by two Appeal Courts.
Others have searched his social media handles to reproduce Effanga’s several anti-Buhari posts over the years. They have provoked the suspicion that he was pro-PDP and repeated his statements showing doubt in Buhari’s policies in many sections.
There has been no statement from him on this rash of accusation trending on social media and in private conversations. Also, Wike has not accused Rivers INEC in any of his accusations against many federal agencies.
Postulations before yesterday
Elections may or may not hold in Rivers State. If they do hold, violence and arrests may scuttle it. Rivers poses the highest voting strength in the south-south and east with almost 3m votes.
Ignatius Chukwu
