Security Agencies Acting as Armed Wing of Rivers PDP, Says Abe

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Abe, has accused some security agencies of playing the role of  armed wing for the People Democratic Party (PDP)  to detriment of all other Rivers people.

Senator Abe regretted that the security agencies which is supposed to protect lives and properties of all Nigerians, irrespective of their religion, tribe or political affiliation was now bias and being used as a tool to allegedly torment Rivers people who are in opposition to the PDP.

The SDP gubernatorial candidate made this observation yesterday during the inauguration of the party’s campaign council in the state, held in Port Harcourt.

Abe, who advised his party members and Rivers people to participate fully in the 2023 general elections, frown at the level opposition parties are being attacked during their campaigns in different areas of the state. He cautioned his members to trade with consciousness during the elections and shun any form electoral violence.

“I have received very credible reports that names of leaders and members of the  SDP across the state have been compiled and frivolous, fictitious petitions have been compiled and arrangements have been concluded with some security agencies who are acting more as the armed wing of the state PDP, than civil servants that are been paid by the government and people of Nigeria to provide security for all Nigerians.

“So we must all be very careful because that assault will begin any minute from now. But what I will say to Rivers people is this, the final solution to the challenges of Rivers state is at hand. All we have to do is to agree that no matter what happens, on the 25th of February, when these elections will hold and on the 11th of March, when the state elections will hold all of us that are alive and can walk and breathe, we must come out on that day and vote.

“If I am arrested, please go and vote if you are arrested, I will go and vote. Once we finish voting, I will remind everybody, Order 21 Order 22 will still be in force on the 29th of May when I will take oath as the governor of Rivers state. So don’t be afraid of anything.

“Five million Rivers people cannot be arrested by anybody. The most they will do, they are targeting those they think that if you are not there, other people will not come out. All we have to do is to prove to Nigerians that nothing, no intimidation, no harassment, no violence will stop us from coming out to cast our votes, we will vote.”

The former representative of the Rivers East Senatorial District, noted the challenges faced by Nigerians following  the new currency policy and fuel scarcity.
He said: “I am here to say to all members of  SDP  in Rivers State, that these are unprecedented times, and the state is going through more than normal challenges.

“All across this country, arising from the challenges around the destruction of fuel supplies across the country, added to the challenges with the change of the currency, this has created a very difficult time for Nigerians all across the country.

 “The case of Rivers State is escalated by other factors. One, of course is the peculiar terrain of our state. If road transportation prices have jumped by  300 per cent  to 400 per cent, you can imagine what is happening to the price of transportation by water, that one has jumped even higher than road transports. So, Rivers state in a difficult situation. If you now add that to the sponsored violence, intimidation, harassment that we are witnessing on political activities all across the states, you will agree with me that Rivers state is going through a very difficult times at this time”.

Earlier in his acceptance speech, the Director General of the SDP campaign council, Senator Wilson Ake said Rivers state was  on the wheel chair and needed  somebody that would  genuinely save it from collapsing.

“Why we happily accepted to work for you (Abe) because, Rivers state is in a terrible state, Rivers state is on a wheel chair, and they are looking for oxygen to give to a dying state and we know that your throat qualified Doctor, the best surgeon that will solve the problem of Rivers state get out the worrying diseases, and do a super stitching that will give Rivers state a new health, strength, beginning and new hope for the children,” he said.