The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign
council in Rivers has announced the cancellation of its planned rally in the
state.
Lee Maeba, chairperson of the PDP presidential campaign
council in Rivers, made the announcement on Monday at a media briefing in Port
Harcourt, the state capital.
The said rally was scheduled for Tuesday.
Maeba said the rally has been called off following attacks
on the members of the campaign team in the state.
“It is, therefore,
instructive to note that this directive has direction in the vituperation of an
overt act of governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike,” he said.
“In this instance, he has openly branded members of the PDP
presidential campaign council and all supporters of the presidential candidate
as enemies of the state and vowed to crush them. Video evidence abounds to
support our assertion.
“In the light of the above submission, we the state campaign
council, in total constructive engagement with the national presidential
campaign council, the candidate, and the party, having seen and evaluated the
bodily harm and potential death threats, believe that no loss of life can be
tolerated, accepted before, during and after the presidential election, and
agree with our principals on the need to shelve and or cancel the rally to
avoid any death, because the victory of Atiku Abubakar does not deserve
spilling of the blood of even one citizen of Rivers state.
“This may be painful,
but it is the best decision to take as no human death can be excused on the
insistence of hosting a rally due to the brigandage which the security agencies
have not been able to break in and restore confidence, security-wise, on the
populace and our members.”
Maeba asked President Muhammadu Buhari to “act decisively”
and ensure that “security agencies do their job in an impartial manner that
will restore confidence” in the elections.
The development comes days after Abiye Sekibo,
director-general of the PDP presidential campaign council in Rivers, was
attacked by armed persons.
Sekibo, who alleged that he was attacked by security
operatives, also claimed that the venue which was being prepared for the
campaign rally was set ablaze.
In January, the Rivers state government revoked its approval
of Adokiye Amiesimaka stadium for the PDP’s presidential campaign rally over an
alleged plot to share the facility with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The main opposition party is grappling with a division
caused by the decision taken by party stakeholders, including five governors
led by Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers.
Wike and his allies — including Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Samuel
Ortom of Benue, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu — have
excluded themselves from the party’s presidential campaign over calls for
Iyorchia Ayu to step down as the party’s national chairperson.
The calls for Ayu’s resignation, according to the group, are
based on the grounds that the presidential candidate and the national
chairperson cannot be from the same region.
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