The Action Democratic Party (ADP), has said it will join forces with other political parties and civil society organisations (CSOs) in Rivers State, to take legal action against the state government over the recently signed Executive Order 21.
Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike had last week announced that he has signed into effect Executive Order 21, which apart from prohibiting political parties from holding campaign rallies in public schools in the state without permission from the Ministry of Education, said political parties must pay a non-refundable sum of N5 million to the ministry.
Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, ADP governorship candidate in the state, Engr. Victor Fingesi, said although the state government has a right to issue such other, it is only the Court that can reverse the decision.
Fingesi described the Executive Order 21 as subtle reintroduction of the draconian Decree 4 of the long forgotten military era, pointing out that it was a deliberate slap on democracy.
He said: “We thought it necessary to invite out friends in the media to ask questions why the subtle reintroduction of the draconian Decree 4 of the long forgotten military era, which gagged freedom of assemblies, associations and speech in whatever shades and forms hiding under the guide of security breaches.
“The recent Executive Order of the Rivers State government aimed at restricting in some way and regulating political parties’ activities, rallies and campaigns, is a deliberate slap on democracy and worst of distractions in the contemporary political system.
“It is inconsistent with the extant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and in variance with international charters on human rights and people’s rights.
“What we want to do as a party, we have consulted widely . It is the right of government and the only way to tackle that order is to go to Court. It is only the court that will reverse it. We are going to court, not just as a party, but with other political parties and civil society organizations.”
The ADP governorship candidate, who stated that no government would conceive repulsive legislations that would hurt people under its watch, called on the media to speak out against the action of the state government.
Fingesi said: “There is no government that would conceive repulsive legislations that would hurt the people under it’s 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. One cannot imagine political parties going through such strict conditions and bottlenecks of government that is biased in all fronts to obtain permissions that are unnecessary before it could hold rallies.”
