After Atiku Abubakar’s campaign office in Rivers State was sealed, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council responded.
As previously reported by Naijalog, River State Governor Nyesom Wike on Friday used a court order to close off Atiku Abubakar’s campaign office in GRA Port Harcourt.
The sealing of the campaign office, according to Wike’s spokesperson Kelvin Ebiri, was done in accordance with his principal’s instruction that campaign offices shouldn’t be situated in residential areas.
Leloonu Nwibubassa, a spokeswoman for the PCC in Rivers State, responded to the incident by saying that Wike’s move was an effort to repress and oppress other political opponents.
Leloonu emphasised that Wike had abused his authority as the state’s governor by describing the sealing of the campaign office as an act of lawlessness.
The State PDP PCC spokesman added that it was regrettable that Wike, who served as a two-term local government chairman in 1999 and then rose to the position of Chief of Staff, could not recognise the benefits of the current democratic system by his conduct.
He said: “It is very unfortunate and I think that all civil society groups, the international community, all lovers of democracy all over the world must understand that Governor Wike has misused his powers as governor.
“Not just to suppress and oppress, but to intimidate the people of Rivers State from expressing their free will to support any candidate of their choice or to be a member of any party of their choice, as expressly guaranteed in the grand norms of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We have condemned it as an act of lawlessness by the governor.
“By closing down the political space in Rivers State; by intimidating and suppressing voices that are in opposition to his own bidding, Governor Wike is exalting himself to become the leader of all anti-democratic forces in Nigeria militating against the grand norms of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that guarantee freedom of association, freedom of lawful and peaceful assembly.
“Everything about that secretariat and campaign office, every requirement has been made.
“So the governor is left with no excuse that the action that he has taken is completely outside the law. It is vindictive. It is against the right of the people.”