Rivers gov’ship candidates protest against Gov Wike, allege intimidation of members

Some Rivers State governorship candidates on Friday, March 17, 2023 championed a protest over alleged intimidation by security agents.

The candidates held the protest at the police headquarters in Port Harcourt, the state’s capital.

The leaders of the protest include: the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tonye Cole; the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Magnus Abe; the governorship candidate of the Accord Party (AP), Dumo Lulu-Briggs and the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Tonte Ibraye.

The Informant247 recalls that the governorship and House of Assembly elections are planned for Saturday, March 18.

The governorship candidates accused the Governor of the state, Nyesom Wike of making use of security operatives to intimidate their members.

They said the security agents have arrested many of their members, affirming that the election should not take place if they are not set free.

At the protest ground, Cole said: “We have been victimised, intimidated and our members are being arrested.”

“As we speak now, party members across the board are being arrested. The election cannot hold in this situation and that’s why we are here today.

“The police IG must instruct, very clearly that no politically motivated arrest should happen and everybody that has been arrested for political reasons must be released immediately. If they are not released immediately, then this election is in jeopardy.”

He also called on the security agencies to beef up the security of the state and make sure that anyone putting on “military uniform and police uniform that is not authentic must be immediately arrested”.