BY Samuel Akpan
Some governorship candidates in Rivers state on Friday, staged a protest against alleged intimidation by security operatives.
The protest was at the police headquarters in Port Harcourt, the capital of the state.
Among those who led the protest were Tonye Cole, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Magnus Abe of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Dumo Lulu-Briggs of Accord Party (AP), and Tonte Ibraye of African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The governorship and state house of assembly election is scheduled to take place on Saturday.
The candidates alleged that the security operatives were intimidating their members on the instruction of Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers.
They said many of their members have been arrested, warning that the election should not hold if they were not released.
Speaking at the protest venue, Cole said: “We have been victimised, intimidated and our members are being arrested.”
“As we speak now, party members across the board are being arrested. The election cannot hold in this situation and that’s why we are here today.
“The police IG must instruct, very clearly that no politically motivated arrest should happen and everybody that has been arrested for political reasons must be released immediately. If they are not released immediately, then this election is in jeopardy.”
He also demanded that the security agencies step up their surveillance and ensure that anyone who is seen in a “military uniform and police uniform that is not authentic must be immediately arrested”.
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