Confirms filing petition against March 18 polls
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
A lawyer, member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state, Dr Godswill Dike has clarified that he was not kidnapped at the office of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Port Harcourt, as was speculated.
Dike, who is a brother to the APC State Legal Adviser, Azubuike Dike, maintained that in fear of being harmed by some suspected hoodlums at the front of the INEC office he asked for the help of some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who whisked him and his colleague out of the premises to a safer place.
The APC lawyer who spoke to THISDAY yesterday evening during a telephone interview, also disclosed that the party had filed a petition at the election tribunal to challenge the outcome of the March 18, 2023 governorship and State House of Assembly polls in Rivers.
A statement last Thursday, signed by Darlington Nwauju, Sogbeye Eli, State Publicity Secretary and Spokesman, Rivers APC 2023 Campaign Council, respectively, alerted the alleged kidnap of the lawyer while trying to obtain the certified true copies (CTC) documents at the INEC office.
The statement also allegedly linked the crime to some PDP chieftains who were protesting with their supporters in front of the INEC office.
But in this interview with Dike, he claimed that although he and his colleague suspected that they might be harmed after they had collected the documents from the INEC noticing the crowd at the INEC office, they put a call to their party members to alert them of the development.
According to the APC lawyer, it was while he was figuring out on how to leave the INEC office unharmed that he sighted the Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Edison Ehie and Council Chairman of the Ikwerre Local Government, Nwanosike Samuel, amongst the protesters in front of the gate.
He explained: “On Thursday I was at INEC office, at the point the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) authorised that those documents should be given to us, I also noticed that the legal adviser for the PDP in Rivers, Kingsley Chuku, was also there. When those documents were given to me, the same documents were given to Chuku, also to somebody sent by the SDP Rivers state.
“As at the point the documents were being handed over to us, the protestants had locked the entrance of the INEC gate. Out of whether unpleasant or compromise, the security personnel at the INEC had even retreated but they managed to lock the gate.
“But I was worried, I had to complain to one of the HODs that this shouldn’t be happening, that we are here to pick the CTC documents, how do we leave this place. That was when I became apprehensive, I wasn’t the only person. I went there with my Junior, one Barr Osuji and one Emmanuel Kpakol sent by the party to go with me.
“At the point we were leaving, we noticed that the premises has been barricaded by some unknown hoodlums. So I couldn’t leave, I was there, I tried to make calls to reach out to some of my party faithful anticipating that I will be attacked. They also tried to make moves to see how they will rescue me but all of that proved abortive. Up till the time I now saw the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, Edison Ehie and the Council Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Nwanosike Samuel.
“These of course are long time friends, so irrespective of the fact that they are of the PDP, I had to approach them and explained my situation, that I don’t have any security to move out with. Of course, immediately I picked the documents, I handed them over to the person the party said I should hand them over to. But we have difficulty in moving out of the premises, including the guy with the documents.
“I told Edison that they should not allow the hoodlums to harm us, so they said they themselves were also there to pick their document but they are anticipating the same thing that they could be harmed. So, I said you are here with your security, see how you can protect me. At that point Edison held my hand, Samuel Nwanosike held my colleague’s hand and managed to whisk me out and took me to the Assembly quarters for my safety.
“Probably, it was this scenario that gave people the impression that I was kidnapped. But on record I was not kidnapped. But because as at the time I was apprehensive I had already sent out signals to my party that I am feeling that some persons were out to harm me, especially the crowd. My party had already sent signals, reached out to the media just to forestall whatever may happen”.
Speaking on the petition, Dike disclosed: “For now the documents were given to us on Thursday, but because of the rowdy nature of INEC office in Port Harcourt, we could not move out with the documents.
“But we have our options, one of which is to re-apply because INEC is a public institution and if we apply and make necessary payments for certification, the law allows us to have CTC documents irrespective of what might transpired last time.
“The other option, soft copy of the document which may not be admissible in the court, but we can also subpoena INEC to come and tender those documents in admissible form which is also another option. So I can confirm that the party have filed petition,” Dike added
