Count Us Out Of Police Take Over Of LGA Premises, APC Tells PDP

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has  told the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the APC did not order the takeover of local government secretariats in the state by the police, The Punch reports.

Inspector Generalrl of Police, Solomon Arase

The party chairman in the state, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, made this known in a statement on Sunday July 12 in Port Harcourt, describing the allegation level against the party by the PDP as baseless, watery and without any foundation.

Ikanya  stressed that the APC was not a lawless party like the PDP, pointing out that his party has no hand in the occupation of the council secretariats by the police.

He said: “The accusation is watery, baseless and without foundation. APC as a party has nothing to do with the Police takeover of the LG Secretariats in Rivers State.

“We are not a lawless party like PDP that used the Police and other security organs to make the state virtually ungovernable during their time in power at the centre,” the state APC chairman said.”

READ ALSO: Rivers Boils As Gunmen Kill 15, Injured Others

The APC chairman added that his party has always been known to respects and advocates for strict adherence to the rule of law.

Ikanya said: “There is no way the APC will suddenly turn around to do otherwise. The memory of how the lawless PDP-led Federal Government under the watch of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan used the police to harass, intimidate and hound the then Governor Rotimi Amaechi and APC leaders in Rivers State remains ever fresh.

“PDP leaders in the state clapped and danced when their leader, Chief Nyesom Wike, murdered the rule of law through the infamous CP Joseph Mbu. He (Mbu) heartlessly dispersed 13,000 teachers who gathered to receive their employment letters, aided the five renegade lawmakers to attempt the impeachment of the then Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“Having unequivocally condemned such excesses, there is no way we as a party could possibly turn around to instigate the police under the new, law-abiding administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, to walk the path of infamy as was the case during the discredited Jonathan administration.

“In any case, even if we haboured such thoughts, it wouldn’t have been possible to execute it under the present dispensation as the President Buhari administration is not running a lawless government as was the case during the time of Dr. Jonathan and could not have directed the police to embark upon any illegal act.”

READ ALSO: 22 APC Local Council Chairmen Sacked In Rivers

He noted that the his party’ had  rejected ruling  by the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, that sacked 22 chairmen who were elected during Amaechi’s tenure.

Ikanya further revealed that the APC will  soon challenge the court ruling by following  constitutionally approved judicial processes to seek justice in the matter.

He thanked the police for their prompt action that had helped in restoring law and order,  following Justice Akanbi’s judgement. He explained that his party will take lawful steps in  ensuring that the sacked council chairmen are not pushed out of office unjustly.

However, it was observed that the policemen who had earlier occupied  various local government secretariats in the state have  since vacated the places.

It was  learnt the vacation of the council secretariats by the security follow an order by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase.

It took the intervention of the Rivers state governor,  Nyesom Wike,  for the policemen to leave the occupied places after he spoke with the IGP

 

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