The attention of the Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, has been drawn to the relentless noise on radio, television and in the newspapers by the Rivers State Chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, through its State Chairman, Felix Obuah and the Publicity Secretary, Samuel Nwanosike attempting to foul the air over the release of March 19 rerun election results for Tai Local Government Area.
The APC has, so far, repeatedly reminded the PDP that the Electoral Act clearly specifies how results of elections including legislative polls are released and by whom at all levels. The Tai rerun election results were announced by the statutorily recognised INEC officials at the appropriate levels. Whether the Commission had issues to establish about those results is inconsequential, internal and merely administrative.
The PDP has always talked about a dubious and largely suspect court order they obtained restraining INEC from releasing the said results. We would like to advise the PDP to confirm whether they can obtain an order against action that has already been taken. Indeed, they should ask themselves whether someone can obtain a court order against the delivery of a child that has already been delivered.
Assuming without conceding that the PDP has a subsisting court order restraining INEC or its agents from releasing Tai results, under what circumstances can a political party or indeed anyone take an order restraining a statutorily established government entity from performing its constitutional roles? The PDP must tell Nigerians whether it can obtain a court order restraining, for example, the Rivers State House of Assembly or National Assembly or National Population Commission from carrying out their statutory functions.
It is the conviction of the APC that the said court order the PDP has been making reference to exists only in the imagination of the PDP leaders in Rivers State. We challenge them to publish that court order for public scrutiny because they have placed the matter in public space.
Again, assuming without conceding that a genuine court order restraining the release of Tai rerun election is in the possession of the PDP, what are the detailed specifics of such an order? What is the challenge of the PDP in returning to court to get INEC charged for contempt of court instead of threatening crisis and breakdown of law and order?
The APC believes that repeated threat of crisis by the PDP follows in the character of their leader, Gov. Nyesom Wike who said during their second ill-fated national convention that he was allowing peace to reign because of the presence of visitors in the state. By that statement, Rivers people became aware why peace has never reigned in Rivers State especially when we did not have visitors in the State. It helped us to understand why killings returned to Rivers State the very day the NBA conference wound up especially the gruesome killing of an NBA member, late Ken Astwete a few days later.
The APC condemns the unwarranted threat to law and order by words and actions of PDP leaders in Rivers State. There is no doubt that this sort of behaviour was responsible for the spate of violence that has enveloped Rivers State and brought her infamy since 2014.
We wish to remind the PDP that after the rerun elections of March 19, INEC has released results in favour of the PDP in many parts of Rivers State. APC members had either taken it with equanimity or peacefully approached the courts to seek redress. We have not threatened anyone or the peace of Rivers State.
The APC calls on relevant security agencies to take particular notice of the drum of war being beaten for the umpteenth time by the PDP over matters they have the clear option of seeking judicial intervention if they believe in democratic tenets.
Chris Finebone
State Publicity Secretary
