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By Godwin Chukwumaechi, Port Harcourt
The governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in Rivers State, Chief Victor Fingesi, has described Executive Order 21 recently signed by state governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, as “subtle reintroduction of the draconian Decree four (4) of the long forgotten military era which gagged freedom of assemblies, associations and speech in whatever shades and forms hiding under the guise of security breaches.”
Addressing the media in Port Harcourt on Sunday, in a run-up to the start of ADP’s campaign across the 23 local government areas of the state, Fingesi said that some political parties and civil society organizations have concluded plans to challenge the controversial Order 21 in court.
Order 21 restricts the use of public schools for political campaigns and mandates the payment of N5 million caution fee by political parties granted approval to use such schools by the state ministry of Education.
Fingesi described Order 21 as a deliberate slap on democracy and the worst of distractions in the contemporary political system, “aimed at restricting in some way and regulating political parties’ activities, rallies and campaigns.”
He noted that the order is “inconsistent with the extant laws of the federal Republic and in variance with international charters on human rights and peoples’ rights,” adding that “there is no expansive government that would conceive repulsive legislations that would hurt the people under his watch; it is absolutely abusive and inhuman to restrict and box political parties to uncharitable corner.
“We call on you the watchdog of the society and true advocate of the masses to speak out and condemn that draconian rule of the Rivers State government in strongest terms. It is anti-peoples’ rights and painful breach of the socio-economic development of our dear state,” he said.
The ADP guber candidate wondered at the strict conditions and bottlenecks, of government that is biased on all fronts, that political parties have to go through “to obtain permissions that are unnecessary before it could hold rallies.”
“We must be governed under the extant laws of the Nigeria nation. I say it over and over that Rivers State belongs to all of us, and no single individual can stampede us.
“We are law abiding citizens and we all are knowledgeable about what laws of the land say about political activities, and there are no two electoral umpires but one, and that is the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The Electoral Act is clear on the issues of political parties’ campaigns and rallies, among other activities as the case may be. We should ask questions as to why that of the Rivers State should be a different,” he said.
Fingesi said ADP is “deeply concerned about our tomorrow, the future of our children and the ones unborn. It is only genuine dedication, experience and transparency that would assuage our underdevelopment and pathetic situation. It is time for us all to get down to business. It is time we begin to reach out to our people across board to join our party, the ADP on is movement to rebuild our Rivers State and make it better.
“Our three-prone philosophy of Agriculture, Education and Employment are on course. Those are the strongest weapons to tackle our deficit of infrastructure and the resurrection of our already collapsed economy.
“Our blueprint that is yet to be made public is the collective ideas of experts in all sectors of the economy that would give our dear Rivers State their dreamed government of pride. We know that the journey to Rebuilding Rivers State is not a tea party; we are absolutely confident that our party Action Democratic Party is best alternative to bring about the Rivers State we yearn for.
“We would rebuild a Rivers State where religion and tribe differences would have no strength to divide us from our collective vision to greater heights. We reinstate our desire to go for the best brains anywhere in the world to achieve our sworn thrust for a robust Rivers State,” he said.
