Abe: Wike lacks power to declare my supporters wanted

The Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Rivers State, Magnus Abe, on Friday dared Governor Nyesom Wike over his declaration of 28 supporters of opposition parties in the state wanted.

The former Senator noted that Wike lacked the constitutional right to declare anyone wanted.

Speaking at the Headquarters of Police in the state when he alongside governorship candidates of APC, Tonye Cole, Africa Democratic Congress, Tonte Ibraye, Accord Party, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs led hundreds of their supporters in Rivers State on a protest to the intimidation by the state government, Abe stated that it is only the police who have the right to do so and that the governor lacked the powers.

Wike had in his statewide broadcast, Thursday, declared 28 persons who are in opposition to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, wanted.

Abe regretted that his supporters including a diasporan who returned to the country for the polls was among the persons declared wanted. He wondered what happened to those alleged members of the ruling party who were allegedly linked to the detonation of explosives in homes and business places of prominent individuals in the state.

Abe said: “I want to draw attention to a few salient points, that motivated me to join this effort. Last night the governor of Rivers State made a broadcast. In that broadcast, he named several persons who are to be arrested and ordered the police to declare them wanted, arrest and prosecute them immediately.

“Most of the persons named in that broadcast are simply those who have been campaigning for other political parties. A lot of them are members of SDP including a Nigerian citizen who just flew into this country just to participate in this election. Because he put up billboards and campaigned for SDP his name was included as somebody who should be arrested.

“It is instructive that Rivers people should note that we are in this state. Dynamites have been thrown into the houses of prominent of Rivers’ sons. One of them is the case of the young man who went to throw a bomb into the home of Good Jaja. He was shot there and his GDI and Taskforce ID cards were found and he is known. Up till today, the police have refused to say anything about it. He was allowed to bleed to death. None of his colleagues or accomplices were arrested. Nobody was declared wanted.

“This kind of policing will only breed insecurity. The governor has no constitutional right to declare any citizen wanted.”