By Adadainfo
The Atiku Abubakar campaign office in Rivers State was Friday shut, an indication that the feud between the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and the G-5 Governors led by Gov Nyesome Wike has got to its crescendo.
Wike’s group wants the national chairman of the party, currently being occupied by North’s Iyorcha Ayu, to be zoned to the South following the emergence of Mr Abubakar, from North, as PDP’s presidential standard-bearer.
The PDP hierarchy has however remained adamant.
Our correspodent gathered that Wike’s Rivers State invoked Executive Orders 21 and 22 in sealing the office.
The closure of the office, located at GRA, Port Harcourt, was announced by the Rivers State PDP Presidential Campaign Council in Friday.
The campaign council stated that, “The public is hereby informed that the sealed premises had no bill board or poster, since the approval had not been given, yet it was sealed off, a sign that the delay in the approval is premeditated and computed to cause this sort of unlawfulness.
“We condemn this act because it rubs off on our fundamental right to free expression of interest. Furthermore, this egregious move by the Rivers State government, seen in the prism of politics, tends to militarise our democracy and renders our dear state politically recessive when juxtaposed with other states in the country.
“We urge our dear leaders in the state to challenge this illegality in a court of competent jurisdiction so that friction can disappear from our political space.
“The right to campaign for preferred candidate is enshrined in the Constitution of Nigeria, which is the grand norm from which every other law derives its power.
“Thus, every clash between the Constitution and any other made law should be resolved in favour of the Constitution. The Rivers State government, we dare say, is subject to the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“It is our duty to remind Governor Wike and his co-travellers that they, like everyone else, are subject to the laws of Nigeria.”
“Meanwhile we charge the Rivers State PDP PCC, our dear leaders, to see to it that this unlawful disruption of campaign activities does not rattle their cage. They must continue to function as they always had prior to the existence of the secretariat.
“Tyranny will expire in our state. If the Nazi Regime could die in Germany, then this facsimile of such will die even much faster to the glory of God and liberty of Rivers State.”
Other members of the Wike-led G5-Governors are Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo).
