The presidential campaign organisation of the All
Progressives Congress has said it will submit a
petition against President Goodluck Jonathan to the
International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague.
The organisation said in a statement signed by its
Director of Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu,
on Wednesday that the petition followed the massive
terror unleashed on the residents of Lagos by armed
pro-Jonathan groups under the dubious cover of the
Oodua People’s Congress (OPC).
The ethnic militia groups had last Monday organised a
road protest in Lagos demanding the sack of the
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, over
alleged mishandling of the affairs of the commission.
However, the APC campaign spokesman said the
machete-wielding and gun-bearing armed pro-Jonathan
groups marched round the major streets of Lagos,
harassing and intimidating motorists, chanting anti-
Jega songs in a manner that gave them away as
acting the carefully-prepared script for the truncation
of the general election.
“There was a disruption to of the tranquility of the city
that warranted the citizens scampering for safety in all
directions, a foretaste of the violence they plan to
unleash on election day.
“Our investigations have confirmed that the March 16
show was a dress-rehearsal for the main disruption
planned for the general election. Lagos, and the entire
South-west, being a stronghold of the APC, has been
marked for massive commotion that would involve
killings, maiming and kidnapping.
“Our findings have further shown that the recent N9
billion pipeline surveillance contract to OPC and some
militant groups in Southern Nigeria was the elixir for
the latest crude impudence of the pro-Jonathan armed
groups. Indeed, the contract award was indeed a
subterfuge for the mobilisation of these murderous
militant groups for the destruction of lives and
property to force the desire of the re-election of
President Goodluck Jonathan on the Nigerian people.
“As an opposition party we are using this medium to
serve President Jonathan the notice of our formal
protest of this extreme show of impunity to the ICC.
We are aware that Mrs. Patience Jonathan is already
on the watch list of ICC. The activities of this
president and his wife as regards the elections are not
patriotic and very unhelpful for entrenching democratic
values in the nation.
“We recall the bombing of the APC secretariat and the
shootings and disruption of the party’s campaign rally
in Okirika in Rivers State, where the first lady hails
from with a muted silence from President Jonathan.
“Whereas the police authorities had denied the
opposition party its legitimate and democratic rights to
organise one-million-person-march for Buhari in Kano,
it was, however, quick to approve that in Lagos,
providing security for the pro-Jonathan armed groups
while they unleashed mayhem on citizens in Lagos last
Monday, a day that residents of the city consider the
most important of the week.
“We are not ready to cower to the intimidation of
Jonathan, ahead of the general election. We believe
Nigerians shall speak eloquently on March 28 and this
brutality on the psyche of the Nigerian people shall
cease,” Shehu said.
Meanwhile, the former Vice-President and chieftain of
the APC, Atiku Abubakar, has disowned the groups
said to be affiliated to him, which have decamped
from the APC to the Peopes Democratic Party (PDP).
Atiku said he has no knowledge of the group of
politicians who announced their defection to PDP.
The former vice-president said in a statement by his
media office in Abuja that he remains a committed
member of the APC and urged that the purported
defections of the groups be discountenanced.
In another development, the APC has raised the alarm
over the possibility of disruption of elections in
Okrika and Ogu/Bolo Local Government Areas of
Rivers State due to alleged plan by the PDP to use
security agencies to arrest its leaders and
sympathisers before the election day.
In a petition to the National Human Rights Commission
(NHRC), the party also alleged that about 10 of its
leaders in the two local government areas might be
kidnapped before the election day.
The Chairmen of the APC in the two local government
areas, Christian Asifamaka (Okrika) and Chief Israel
Iboms (Ogu/Bolo), wrote the petition on behalf of the
party.
Among the APC leaders who the petitioners claimed
were penciled down to be kidnapped before the polls
are Mr. Arisky, Chief Jonah Tamuno, Mrs. Ibim
Semenitari,, Maureen Tamuno, Chief Israel Iboms,
Christian Asifamaka, Tamuno Williams, Abiye Amakiri,
Dr. Emmanuel Iruayenama and TSB Ibuluyam.
The petition, titled: ‘RE: Threat to peaceful elections in
Okrika and Ogu/Bolo Local Government Areas of Rivers
State, Nigeria’ read in part: “Now the PDP and its
Abuja authority have finalised plans to prevent the APC
in these local government areas from voting in the
forthcoming elections.
“This they intended by using all the security agencies
to arrest our leaders, party agents and community
leaders who are sympathetic to APC a few days
before the elections on false charges.”
A copy of the petition obtained yesterday was dated
March 17, 2015 and it bore the stamp of the NHRC
showing that it was received at the commission’s
headquarters in Abuja on the same date.
The petition was addressed to, the Chairman of the
NHRC’s Governing Council, Dr. Chidi Odinkalu. The
petitioners called on the NHRC to investigate their
complaints because the threats against the leaders
and sympathisers of the APC in the two local
government areas could not be taken lightly.
The petitioners said: “Based on the above and judging
from the antecedents of the source of these threats,
we urge you to take immediate and adequate steps to
prevent further massive violation our rights and pray
you to investigate and bring perpetrators of the
complained acts of human rights violation to justice.
“We urge you to give our letter deserved urgent
attention.”
The petitioners called for NHRC’s intervention even as
they accused the police of refusing to investigate their
complaints of serial attacks on their offices and rallies
in violation of their fundamental rights.
The petition further reads in part, “Contrary to the
extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended,
in Okrika and Ogu/Bolo Local Government Areas, the
APC was stopped from undertaking its legitimate pre-
election activities to wit:
“(i) APC party offices in Okrika was burnt down on the
January 11, 2015. Till date police have not done
anything.
“(ii) The campaign office of APC governorship
candidate was also bombed and destroyed in Okrika.
“(iii) On January 24, 2015, APC gubernatorial campaign
rally in Okrika was violently disrupted by gunmen who
claimed they were acting based on orders from Abuja.
This led to the cancellation of the same in Ogu/Bolo
Local Government Area slated for January 25, 2015..”
Progressives Congress has said it will submit a
petition against President Goodluck Jonathan to the
International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague.
The organisation said in a statement signed by its
Director of Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu,
on Wednesday that the petition followed the massive
terror unleashed on the residents of Lagos by armed
pro-Jonathan groups under the dubious cover of the
Oodua People’s Congress (OPC).
The ethnic militia groups had last Monday organised a
road protest in Lagos demanding the sack of the
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, over
alleged mishandling of the affairs of the commission.
However, the APC campaign spokesman said the
machete-wielding and gun-bearing armed pro-Jonathan
groups marched round the major streets of Lagos,
harassing and intimidating motorists, chanting anti-
Jega songs in a manner that gave them away as
acting the carefully-prepared script for the truncation
of the general election.
“There was a disruption to of the tranquility of the city
that warranted the citizens scampering for safety in all
directions, a foretaste of the violence they plan to
unleash on election day.
“Our investigations have confirmed that the March 16
show was a dress-rehearsal for the main disruption
planned for the general election. Lagos, and the entire
South-west, being a stronghold of the APC, has been
marked for massive commotion that would involve
killings, maiming and kidnapping.
“Our findings have further shown that the recent N9
billion pipeline surveillance contract to OPC and some
militant groups in Southern Nigeria was the elixir for
the latest crude impudence of the pro-Jonathan armed
groups. Indeed, the contract award was indeed a
subterfuge for the mobilisation of these murderous
militant groups for the destruction of lives and
property to force the desire of the re-election of
President Goodluck Jonathan on the Nigerian people.
“As an opposition party we are using this medium to
serve President Jonathan the notice of our formal
protest of this extreme show of impunity to the ICC.
We are aware that Mrs. Patience Jonathan is already
on the watch list of ICC. The activities of this
president and his wife as regards the elections are not
patriotic and very unhelpful for entrenching democratic
values in the nation.
“We recall the bombing of the APC secretariat and the
shootings and disruption of the party’s campaign rally
in Okirika in Rivers State, where the first lady hails
from with a muted silence from President Jonathan.
“Whereas the police authorities had denied the
opposition party its legitimate and democratic rights to
organise one-million-person-march for Buhari in Kano,
it was, however, quick to approve that in Lagos,
providing security for the pro-Jonathan armed groups
while they unleashed mayhem on citizens in Lagos last
Monday, a day that residents of the city consider the
most important of the week.
“We are not ready to cower to the intimidation of
Jonathan, ahead of the general election. We believe
Nigerians shall speak eloquently on March 28 and this
brutality on the psyche of the Nigerian people shall
cease,” Shehu said.
Meanwhile, the former Vice-President and chieftain of
the APC, Atiku Abubakar, has disowned the groups
said to be affiliated to him, which have decamped
from the APC to the Peopes Democratic Party (PDP).
Atiku said he has no knowledge of the group of
politicians who announced their defection to PDP.
The former vice-president said in a statement by his
media office in Abuja that he remains a committed
member of the APC and urged that the purported
defections of the groups be discountenanced.
In another development, the APC has raised the alarm
over the possibility of disruption of elections in
Okrika and Ogu/Bolo Local Government Areas of
Rivers State due to alleged plan by the PDP to use
security agencies to arrest its leaders and
sympathisers before the election day.
In a petition to the National Human Rights Commission
(NHRC), the party also alleged that about 10 of its
leaders in the two local government areas might be
kidnapped before the election day.
The Chairmen of the APC in the two local government
areas, Christian Asifamaka (Okrika) and Chief Israel
Iboms (Ogu/Bolo), wrote the petition on behalf of the
party.
Among the APC leaders who the petitioners claimed
were penciled down to be kidnapped before the polls
are Mr. Arisky, Chief Jonah Tamuno, Mrs. Ibim
Semenitari,, Maureen Tamuno, Chief Israel Iboms,
Christian Asifamaka, Tamuno Williams, Abiye Amakiri,
Dr. Emmanuel Iruayenama and TSB Ibuluyam.
The petition, titled: ‘RE: Threat to peaceful elections in
Okrika and Ogu/Bolo Local Government Areas of Rivers
State, Nigeria’ read in part: “Now the PDP and its
Abuja authority have finalised plans to prevent the APC
in these local government areas from voting in the
forthcoming elections.
“This they intended by using all the security agencies
to arrest our leaders, party agents and community
leaders who are sympathetic to APC a few days
before the elections on false charges.”
A copy of the petition obtained yesterday was dated
March 17, 2015 and it bore the stamp of the NHRC
showing that it was received at the commission’s
headquarters in Abuja on the same date.
The petition was addressed to, the Chairman of the
NHRC’s Governing Council, Dr. Chidi Odinkalu. The
petitioners called on the NHRC to investigate their
complaints because the threats against the leaders
and sympathisers of the APC in the two local
government areas could not be taken lightly.
The petitioners said: “Based on the above and judging
from the antecedents of the source of these threats,
we urge you to take immediate and adequate steps to
prevent further massive violation our rights and pray
you to investigate and bring perpetrators of the
complained acts of human rights violation to justice.
“We urge you to give our letter deserved urgent
attention.”
The petitioners called for NHRC’s intervention even as
they accused the police of refusing to investigate their
complaints of serial attacks on their offices and rallies
in violation of their fundamental rights.
The petition further reads in part, “Contrary to the
extant provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended,
in Okrika and Ogu/Bolo Local Government Areas, the
APC was stopped from undertaking its legitimate pre-
election activities to wit:
“(i) APC party offices in Okrika was burnt down on the
January 11, 2015. Till date police have not done
anything.
“(ii) The campaign office of APC governorship
candidate was also bombed and destroyed in Okrika.
“(iii) On January 24, 2015, APC gubernatorial campaign
rally in Okrika was violently disrupted by gunmen who
claimed they were acting based on orders from Abuja.
This led to the cancellation of the same in Ogu/Bolo
Local Government Area slated for January 25, 2015..”
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