The governorship ambition of the Minister of
State for Education, Mr Nyesom Wike, in Rivers State, under the platform of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Thursday, caused a total breakdown of law
and order at the party’s presidential campaign office, Legacy House, in Abuja.
Suspected thugs loyal to Wike reportedly
unleashed terror on party members and others, including journalists, who had
converged on the venue for a South-South reconciliation meeting.
The zonal integration committee, headed by
Senator Ilya Abubakar, had scheduled to meet at the venue to reconcile
aggrieved members, before the thugs swooped on them and later headed to the
Wadata Plaza, national secretariat of the party.
According to an eyewitness, the crisis
degenerated into a free-for-all, when the supporters of the minister sighted
him coming out from the conference room, where the committee was sitting, while
they give perceived opponent a shouting match.
It was gathered that the thugs, who came in
their hundreds, started arriving at the venue as early as 8.00 a.m. and took
over control of security at the Legacy House, while scores of policemen
assigned to provide security at the venue watched helplessly.
The thugs freely harassed anyone who made
attempt to enter the main building where the committee was sitting and locked
up those perceived as opposition within the building
Journalists were not spared, as some of them
were beaten up, with some of their equipment seized.
While the show of shame was ongoing, the
aggrieved Ijaw youths, who were protesting what they called planned imposition
of Ikwere indigene on the people of the state, relocated to the national
secretariat of the party at Wadata Plaza, armed with various placards.
Speaking on behalf of the youth, Mr Oni
Quakers from Kalabariland said they were protesting the imposition of Ikwere
indigenes on the people as the next governor of the state.
Reacting, the national publicity secretary of
the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, while addressing the faction of the aggrieved
members, reassured them that the party leadership would not allow the
imposition of candidates on members in any state of the federation.
Chief Metuh maintained that the party members
would be given the opportunity to elect and nominate aspirants of their choice,
who would eventually become the party’s candidates for elections in 2015.
According to him, “we are promising you that
is what will happen in Rivers and every single state of the federation. Our
party is against consensus candidate.”
While urging the protesters to remain calm,
Metuh maintained that the party would continue to uphold true democratic tenets
and principles in its nomination processes.
The party, also in a statement released in
Abuja by its national secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo, warned that it would
not hesitate to sanction erring elected party officials at all levels.
“The sanctity of our nomination processes
must be protected at all times. We, therefore, wish to assure all party members
that there shall be a level playing ground for all aspirants intending to
participate in the nomination processes.
“Consequently, the National Working Committee
(NWC) will not hesitate to protect any of our members who in any way stands to
be shortchanged, cheated or victimised by such endorsements.
“The NWC charges all our members and
supporters, therefore, to disregard all such endorsements, as the PDP will
conduct primaries to duly elect our standard-bearers, in line with the
provisions of the Electoral Act and the constitution of our great party,” the
statement read.
Minister denies allegation
Minister of State for Education, Wike, in a
brief telephone interview after the incident, denied sponsoring thugs to
disrupt the proceedings, even as he also denied beating up anybody.
According to Wike, “nobody attacked anybody.
The meeting was peaceful. Everybody who had something to present were allowed
to make his presentation. How could I have prevented them from presenting their
memoranda? They said I beat somebody. How can I do that?”
Tags
Politics