From Tony John, Port Harcourt

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Rivers State, has berated the All Progressives Congress (APC), Cross River State, for its unwarranted outbursts against Governor Nyesom Wike.

Briefing reporters in Port Harcourt, State Chairman of PDP Desmond Akawor criticised APC chairman in Cross River State, Alphonsus Eba, for describing Governor Wike as a ‘security risk’.

Akawor said Eba’s uncomplimentary utterance showed that APC exists in flagrant disregard of fundamental human rights, stressing that Rivers State Governor has constitutional right to visit Cross River State and associate with the residents.

He wondered when a visit for a political rally in another state has become a security risk as alleged by the State APC Chairman Eba

‘Firstly, if we should lend some credence to his (Eba) words and consider it on the merits, when has a mere visit for a political rally become such as to incite violence in the state (Cross River), nor on Mr Eba and his cancerous APC party?,’ Akawor asked.

‘It goes to show the fundamental pillars upon which APC builds: political intolerance, zero democracy and zero confirmation of opposition participation.

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‘Otherwise, why is the Cross River APC wailing and crying wolf over a mere legally and morally justified political rally of the PDP in Cross River State? Are they allergic to opposition activities? That has never and can never be in the PDP.

‘May we bring it to the knowledge of Mr Eba that his speech is suggestive of the fact (which is ostensible) that his political party also exists in flagrant disregard of fundamental rights, right to expression, right to movement, right to franchise, right to association. May we also add that these rights are constitutional, legal, transboundary and do not change because Cross River State is concerned.’

Akawor declared that no amount of outbursts by the APC would stop PDP in Cross River from participating in the Saturday bye-election, adding that Rivers would storm the area in solidarity.

‘May it also be noted, especially since the annals of history remain accessible and public, that this is not the first of a kind of visit Governor Nyesom Wike, and, indeed, any governor at all, would be visiting another state in solidarity with his political party, ahead of ant elections in that state,’ he noted.

‘The elite, civilly sound, appealingly democratic and politically sophisticated Nyesom Wike was at Edo State as chairman of the PDP national campaign council that reelected Governor Obaseki. Edo State did not become a field of war.’

He wondered what Cross River State Government and APC had planned against the forthcoming bye-election, that the presence of Governor Wike in the state would be a threat to them.