Opposition parties suffer attacks for Rivers state, wetin we know

From all indication insecurity na one of di biggest problem wey go affect di conduct of di 2023 general election for Nigeria.

Stakeholders including di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec), security agencies and political parties don begin see signs sey jaguda pipo go dey involved.

Di attacks on di campaign trains of some political parties for Rivers State, Southern Nigeria, don raise serious concerns about di peaceful conduct t of di elections.

Several political parties – most of dem, opposition political parties for Rivers state don suffer most attacks.

APC, Accord, SDP suffer loses

Most of di attacks na either by thugs or security agencies wey goment officials dey use enforce di Executive order of di state goment.

Rivers state govnor Nyesom Wike bin bring out Executive orders 21 and 22 on how political parties go operate for any part of di state.

Most of di political parties believe say di orders na to frustrate dia effort to campaign – but di goment don tell anybody wey no like di law to go court.

Dis don make political parties find oda ways to carry out dia campaigns. However, dem dey suffer attacks from either thugs or Local goment officials wey dey implement di law.

Di most recent na di attack on di govnorship candidate of di All Progressives Congress (APC) for Rivers state, Tonye Cole for Opobo Local goment council on Tuesday.

Videos wey circulate on social media show how members of APC dey run inside di local goment wey dey ontop.

Pesin fit also hear sound of gunshots while accusation also comot say di state party Chairman of APC almost die sake of di shooting.

“Wen officials of di Local goment try to stop dem from using government facilities without permission, di APC members not only resist but launch full scale attacks on di officials wey lead to di violence wey happun for Opobo town on Tuesday,” Chris Finebone, Commissioner for Information tok.

E say security agents suppose dey aware say na members of di opposition party start di violence for Opobo.

Di APC also suffer similar attack on Monday for Oyigbo Local goment.

Governorship candidate of di party say thugs no allow “my party to settle down tell Rivers pipo about our plan for dem. Govnor Wike must allow oda parties to campaign.”

Also on Monday di Social Democratic Party SDP governorship candidate, Senator Magnus Abe suffer attack for Mbiama, Ahoada West local goment area.

Tori be say some hoodlums begin shoot for Mbiama junction by Akinima as some suspected political thugs attack di SDP candidate and im pipo.

Eyewitness say to di gun men wey attack di campaign team no allow dem get access into di community and di shooting scatter di crowd wey gada as pipo run for dia lives.

Dis na afta di candidate suffer similar attacks for Tai and Oyigbo Local goments.

'Dis attacks no mean well for pipo of di State'

Opaka Dokubo, veteran tori pesin for di state say e no dey happy wit di level of attacks wey dey happun ahead of di ogbonge election for di state.

E say di attacks no mean well for pipo of di State and dis development dey very disturbing.

Oga Dokubo wey be Vice President of di Nigerian Union of Journalists South South Zone F observe say “true-true Rivers state na violent prone area during election but politicians suppose don learn how to do tin differently.

"So far, e no dey as if di police don do enof becos we don get a number of cases, yet we never hear of even one arrest”, e tok.

Anoda analyst Dr Jossy Nkwocha say di situation na “big danger sign” and e say e no good for di polity.

E say if e kontinu without any checks, e go results to voter apathy - a situation wia pipo no go come out on election day to vote becos dem dey fear for violence.

Insecurity for Rivers state dey worry Inec

Wit dis kain of violence pipo dey expect say Inec need to caution political parties on di danger of dis violence.

Di election body say dem don hold plenty meetings wit political parties and sensitize dem to conduct dem sef well for di election process.

Head of Voter education and enlighten INEC Rivers State, Mark Usulor explain say “political parties for di State don sign peace pacts wia dem agree not to break Section 91 - 97 of di Electoral Act wey state di way dem go conduct demsefs as e concern di electioneering campaigns for Rivers State and di entire kontri.”

Usulor say political need to begin use di Law to get solve problems instead of using violence.

Wetin police dey do?

For most of di attack wey don happun di Rivers state police command don dey silent.

Efforts to get di Commissioner of police CP Okon Effiong to tok about di rising violence dey hard. E neva gree tok to tori pipo.

In some cases, men wey wear police uniforms wey dey attached to goment officials and politicians dey directly involve for di shooting.

For many of di attacks di men and thugs dey shoot live bullets – many pipo don injure in di several attacks wey don happun but no record of death.

For di incident wey happun for Port Harcourt wia thugs attack APC campaign police say na community fight say no be political thugs.

Di leadership of Rumuwoji community wia di incident happun drag di commissioner of Police Effiong say na lie e tok.

On di attack on Senator Abe for Ahaoda-West, police say dem go investigate di mata.

Grace Iringe-Koko, polie tok-tok pesin for statement say security personnel attached to oga Abe been stop di attack.

She say as soon as dem receive di information dem immediately deploy tactical teams to di area to join oda personnel to help restore peace and normalcy in di area.