The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP had in the past been the bulldog in past elections in Rivers State having been in control of the state administration. Now for the first time, the party is fighting from the disadvantaged position of the opposition, and it is a fight of brawn.

By Jimitota Onoyume
It was understandable that political activities dropped in Rivers State shortly after the postponement of the general polls by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, earlier scheduled for last February.

•Wike and Peterside: Is the smile for real?

Before the action of the electoral body, campaign by the two major political parties, the All Progressive Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP was at a feverish height.

However, with the elections again inching closer, the two parties are again hyping their campaigns.

The campaigns have also witnessed ugly incidents. Recently a campaign rally of the All Progressives Congress, APC was disrupted with heavy gunfire and explosives in Okrika. A Policeman lost his life while four others sustained bullet injuries. Several other members of the party were admitted to hospital following fractured bones after the violence in Okirika, the hometown of the nation’s First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.

The party severally blamed the PDP for the ugly incident where property running into millions of naira were destroyed by the hoodlums.

Governorship candidate of the APC, Dr. Dakuku Peterside said no fewer than thirty members of the party had been massacred in Ogba Egbema Ndoni local government area in politically related violence.

He said as much when he met with a delegation of the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, led by Prof Chidi Odinakalu that was in the state on a fact-finding mission over political related violence and killings.

Political violence

He begged the commission to intervene to help reduce the incidents of political violence in the state.

His words, “Lives are being wasted daily and we are shocked to find out that in less than one year, in one local government area alone, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, we lost 30 persons to political violence.”, he said.

Curiously, Okrika people at the end of a meeting after the disrupted rally banned all forms of political campaigns in the area, saying they did not want to witness another round of political violence.

Former militant leader Ateke Tom and some others from the community re-echoed the reported stand of the community to the media, maintaining that the action was to ensure peace in the community. According to them, no political party should come to the area for campaigns.

The APC had been very uncomfortable with the reported decision. Dr. Peterside also drew the attention of the NHRC to the development when the team visited him at his campaign office in Port Harcourt.

“In Okrika local government area, you would have read through the papers, through electronic media, that we are not allowed to campaign. Similar scenario is playing out in Ogu/Bolo local government area. I am told, though unconfirmed that some chiefs of Okrika issued an order banning us from coming to campaign in Okrika, and I wonder if Okrika is still part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Again, because the world is becoming a global village, when we experience some level of violence in one part of this country, the ripples are felt in other parts of the country, and so, it is in our enlightened interest to ensure that whenever it occurs, we put it under check for the good of all of us.

“I also believe that the NHRC is an appropriate agency to help us monitor, curtail this degree of human right abuses,.”

Meantime, the PDP has also been accusing the APC of allegedly killing its members and sponsoring acts of violence against its activities.

The party in a statement accused the APC of sponsoring thugs to shoot at a governorship campaign rally of the PDP in Degema local government area where a member died on the spot and some others sustained injuries.

The party further alleged that its governorship campaign train was attacked in Abua by gunmen allegedly sponsored by the APC recently, adding that a similar act was enacted again by the APC when the governorship candidate of the PDP, Barr Nyesom Wike went to Ulakwo in Etch for campaign.

The two parties have been involved in blame game.

Chairman of the NHRC, Prof Odinakalu said stories coming out of Rivers State were worrisome. He said the state had almost been reduced to a battlefield because of reported cases of political violence.

Political divide

“We wanted to start here because Rivers State is already a battleground and we do not want to sit down in Abuja and look at twitter, look at facebook, and do a little phone call and claim that we know what is happening.

“I should also offer condolences to the people of Rivers State because a lot of blood has been shed here in political violence. It doesn’t matter what side of the political divide, at the end of the day, these are brothers and sisters.

“Now, we have also had men and women in uniform killed in the latest incident in Okrika and I don’t think any country should frankly accept that its men and women in uniform should be killed in those circumstances. That is unacceptable,” Odinkalu said.

Governorship candidate of the PDP, Barr Nyesom Wike during a meeting with the NHRC alleged that this year alone about forty members of his party had been murdered by the APC.

Wike further blamed the state government and the APC for the political violence witnessed in the state, saying that they allegedly intended to use violence to intimidate PDP members,

While assuring that the PDP would continue to pursue the path of peace in the state Wike said he was surprised that the NHRC seemingly ignored the crisis in the judiciary and the legislature in the state.,

He further gave dates and pictorial evidence to support the alleged attack on his party members in the state, accusing the media of allegedly suppressing reports of attack on the PDP.

The spate of politically related violence has generated fear among electorates as some who spoke to the Vanguard said they would want to be sure of their security before they come out to vote in the general elections.

The army on its part has assured people of the state of adequate security during the elections.

Commander, 2 Brigade, Port Harcourt army barracks Brigadier General Koko Essien gave the assurance in his maiden briefing at his office in Port Harcourt.

He said soldiers would be deployed to assist the police during the elections.

A civil society leader in the Niger Delta, Mr. Anyakwee Nsirimovu decried the spate of violence in the state. He challenged security operatives to be alive to their responsibilities.

Anyakwee, who spoke on the platform of Nigerians United for Democracy, said security bodies should be impartial in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.