Senator Abe: There are two armies in Rivers state – Wike commands one of them

Magnus Ngei Abe, senatorial candidate in Rivers state, says he will not honour the invitation sent to him by the house of reps committee on the army over a petition filed by a civil society group in the state.

The Civil Liberties Organization South-South zone had written a petition against the Nigerian army alleging bias in the Rivers crisis, but Abe said, in a letter to the speaker, Yakubu Dogara, that it is no secret “that there are two armies operating in Rivers State today; the PDP army  commanded by Governor Nyesom Wike and the Nigerian Army. Actions  of the PDP Government in Rivers State are designed to restrict the operation of the Nigerian Army so that the PDP army can operate freely, particularly as it affects the elections.”

Abe said he would therefore not honour the invitation.

“I am unable to honour this invitation and I urge you to refrain from taking any further action designed to influence the outcome of the forth-coming elections in Rivers State in favour of any political party,” he said.

The letter in full

His Excellency,

Rt. Hon Yakubu Dogara,

The Honourable Speaker, House of Representatives,

Thro: The Clerk, House Committee on Army,

National Assembly,

Abuja.

RE: POLITICALLY MANIPULATED PUBLIC HEARINGS ON RIVERS STATE

I am in receipt of a letter of invitation from the House of Representatives Committee on the Army dated the 20th day of October, 2016, inviting me to attend a public hearing of a petition by the Civil Liberties Organization South-South zone against the Nigerian Army. Not surprisingly Mr. Speaker, the petition is signed by Mr. Livingstone Wechie, the arrowhead of Governor Wike’s campaign of calumny against the APC in Rivers State. He is the Vice Chairman of the Rivers PDP campaign  publicity  team. He was the pilot of the infamous Integrity  Group  that sponsored the petition against Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in the Senate and he is also the plaintiff in the suit to stop the swearing-in of Hon. Victoria Nyeche, APC member-elect of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Mr. Speaker sir, I have read through the said petition and it is clear that the petition sponsored through your office is nothing but an ill-disgusised attempt by the Peoples Democratic Party to manipulate federal  agencies and influence public opinion in order to secure undue advantage for the PDP in the coming rerun elections. There has been a clear and consistent pattern of the Peoples Democratic Party which ordinarily should have been the minority party using the National Assembly to tilt the political scales in Rivers State in their favour at decisive moments.

Out of respect for your revered office and the integrity of the National Assembly, an institution to which I proudly belong, I had opted to hold my peace, but in the face of glaring injustice and continuing manipulation of the powers of the National Assembly in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State, it has become imperative that I bring this to your attention and to the attention of the national chairman of the APC.

Mr Speaker, it is sad to note that every intervention of the National Assembly in Rivers State usually begins with a boast by the Peoples Democratic Party led by Governor Nyesom Wike announcing  the involvement of the National Assembly. Thus far, actions of the House of Representatives are tailored towards achieving a clear political advantage for the Peoples Democratic Party.

It is no secret that there are two armies operating in Rivers State today; the PDP army  commanded by Governor Nyesom Wike and the Nigerian Army. Actions  of the PDP Government in Rivers State are designed to restrict the operation of the Nigerian Army so that the PDP army can operate freely, particularly as it affects the elections.

This latest hearing instituted by your office is just another desperate attempt to embarrass the Nigerian Army in furtherance of the PDP agenda. If that were not the case, what is the point of inviting me and Hon. Barinaadaa Mpigi, the APC candidates in the rerun elections. Are we soldiers? The Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State has already instituted a narrative to link the APC to the activities of soldiers and you have now been recruited to provide the visual images for the PDP campaign in Rivers State.

These hearings are a clear abuse of the constitutional powers of the House of Representatives and a violation of your oath of office wherein you swore to do right to all Nigerians. The speaker of the House of Representatives cannot be a speaker for only PDP in Rivers state and this is made even more painful when we remember that you were elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), the Party you are now using the enormous powers of your office to persecute.

It is disheartening that petitions of APC members to the office of the speaker have received no attention from your office but every action of the House of Representatives as announced by Governor Nyesom Wike is implemented to the letter.  For the first time in the history of our country, members of the house of assembly  elected on the platform of a political party are denied the right to participate in the affairs of the Rivers State House of assembly. Their constituencies are denied representation simply because they voted for APC. This has elicited no response whatsoever from your office.

Painfully,  hundreds of innocent Nigerians are being murdered every day by the PDP army in a sponsored orgy of violence against the APC members and supporters in Rivers State with no comment by the House or the speaker. Yet committees of the House of Representatives at your instance are always  in Rivers State to do the bidding of Governor Wike and the PDP.

It is instructive to note that these hearings always come up whenever the  Rivers rerun elections are slated, and this particular invitation I have received is no different.

In the circumstances therefore, I am unable to honour this invitation and I urge you to refrain from taking any further action designed to influence the outcome of the forth-coming elections in Rivers State in favour of any political party. I pray that God in his mercy will give you wisdom to face the real challenges of our country.

Senator Magnus Ngei Abe