The Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State are currently at daggers drawn over the ongoing tour of local government areas by Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
While the state PDP described Amaechi’s action as a political campaign and a violation of the Electoral Act, the APC, in the state, said the tour embarked upon by the governor was aimed at assessing the impact of his administration on the people.
The state PDP said on Thursday, through a statement signed by the Special Adviser, Media to its chairman, Jerry Needam, that the governor was using the tour to seek for votes for the APC and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission and the state Commissioner of Police, Tunde Ogunsakin, to stop the governor’s campaign tour.
“We view all these as undemocratic, deviant and trampling on the provisions of the Electoral Act and worse still, provoking the people to cause crisis ahead of the 2015 general elections.
“We (Rivers PDP) are hereby calling on the state Commissioner of Police, INEC, and all relevant security agencies to stop Governor Amaechi and his cohorts from continuing with this campaign tours as it is a threat to the existing peace being enjoyed in the state.
“If Governor Amaechi and the APC are not stopped now, we foresee a situation where other political parties would capitalise on the inability of the police and other security agencies to stop them to commence campaigns when the time is not ripe,” the PDP statement read.
But the state APC, in a statement signed by the Senior Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Chukwuemeka Eze, berated the PDP for reading political meaning to the tour, adding that the opposition party’s criticism of the governor’s tour smacks of mischief and naivety.
“Governor Amaechi clearly explained the purpose of the tour, saying, ‘The purpose of my visits to these communities is to bring government closer to the people and discuss ways to ensure more development impact on the grassroots dwellers before the expiration of my tenure in 2015.”
The governor also said, ‘This visit is not for campaign. We are here to discuss what will benefit the people at the grassroots. I am interested in the politics of development.
“It is therefore mischievous for the PDP to allege that the tour is driven by ill-conceived motive and an attempt to intimidate and influence the electorate ahead the 2015 elections.
“The sinking PDP is being naive by equating a meet-the-people tour with an attempt to intimidate and influence the electorate, even when the time for electoral campaigns is still far away,” the state APC statement read.
It, however stated that the PDP was afraid of its shadows, having being aware of the doom awaiting it in the 2015 elections.
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