Rivers APC lambasts Wike over ban on protests, rallies

The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has lambasted Governor Nyesome Wike’s ban on peaceful protests in the state, describing it as the height of absurdity by a government.

The state Information and Communication Commissioner, Mr. Emma Okah, had in a statement released in Port Harcourt, the state capital on Thursday announced the ban, warning that the full weight of the law would be brought to bear on defaulters.

But the APC, in its reaction said that the state governor cannot be unaware that it is the inalienable rights of Nigerians to protest peacefully anywhere in the country.

In a release issued on Friday, the state APC Publicity Secretary loyal to Amaechi’s faction of the party, Chris Finebone said: “We believe that Gov. Nyesom Wike who authorised the ban is unaware that Rivers people and indeed Nigerians have inalienable right to peaceful protest.

“Perhaps the governor should be reminded that Honourable Justice Adekeye J.S.C. (rtd) once stated that, a rally or placard carrying demonstration has become a form of expression of views on current issues affecting government and the governed in a sovereign state,” pointing out that it is a practice recognized and deeply entrenched in civilized climes.

Finebone said in the statement that the APC is wondering why Gov. Wike would fritter good chunk of the commonwealth of Rivers people on frivolous protests and in less than 24 hours, after the last of those protests, pronounce a ban on protests, saying that the reason can only be that those protesting on the opposite side are now providing Rivers people and Nigerians better perspectives on the happenings in Rivers State.

According to him, another reason for the ineffectual ban is to scuttle further exposure of the ills and atrocities of the Rivers State Government under Gov. Nyesom Wike who believes that pensioners, civil servants, workers of RSSDA and Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority and others may soon protest their abandonment and suffering by the governor.

“It is necessary at this point to inform Gov. Wike that his ban on protest is simply waste of time and space. Nigeria Police cannot enforce an illegal ban except the governor intends to deploy his usual gun-toting hoodlums.

He should remember that this is not 2015; this is 2019. If the governor tries it, he will not like the outcome and he knows it,” he stated.

Recall that the state has turned into a hotbed of protests since the suspension of the electoral processes on the governorship and House of Assembly elections on Sunday March 10, 2019. These protests have since snowballed into pro and anti REC Obo Effanga must go protests.

Just on Thursday, thousands of Rivers women, including traders took to the streets of Port Harcourt, in a peaceful protest to declare that the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Obo Effanga who conducted the 2019 General Elections in the state, must remain and should not be transferred out of the state.

The women who took off from the popular Isaac Boro Park as early as 9.00 am, carrying placards with various inscriptions like: “Rivers women say Amaechi cannot be Governor for 3rd term”, “Awara, when and where did you campaign”, “Wike must come back for second term”, “INEC collate and declare governorship election result in Rivers State”,

“Enough of this long delay”, among others, trekked to the office of the Department of State Security (DSS) along Forces Avenue, Old GRA, Port Harcourt, where their leaders were addressed by the representative of the State Director of DSS.

The women who spotted white vests, chanting ‘no Wike, no Rivers State’ song, defied the scorching sun and proceeded to the State Police Headquarters, Moscow Road where they were addressed by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Betty Otimeh who stood in for Commissioner of Police, Usman Belel who was said to be unavoidably absent.

Also on Thursday, another set of women protested to the state INEC headquarters along Aba Road calling for the removal of the state INEC REC, Obo Effanga and his Administrative Secretary, Elder Etim Umoh.

A day before that however, some civil society groups and youth bodies also stormed the 6 Division Army headquarters in the state, protesting the denigration of the Army institution as well as calling for the redeployment of the REC.