Three APC Lawyers, some party members arrested by Police in Port Harcourt

Three Lawyers hired by All Progressives Congress, APC, Rivers state, and about four support staff of the party assisting the Lawyers billed to file petition at the election tribunal have been arrested by the Police in Port Harcourt.

The lawyers are said to be preparing to file the petitions on Monday April 3 against the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the just concluded Governorship election in Rivers State.

They were reportedly picked on Friday night at a hotel they were lodging in Port Harcourt.

 It has been difficult to ascertain the reason for their arrest.

The Lawyers arrested are attached to the Tuduru Ede’s Chamber, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN are; Jerry Aondo, Esq (Abuja), Dr. Sobere Nelson and Odum Eyiba, Esq.

Tuduru Ede, SAN has also confirmed to Rhythm 93.7fm, a Port Harcourt based Radio Station of the arrest of his Lawyers in Port Harcourt.

We gathered that the persons arrested were taken to Nigeria Police Force, NPF, Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, Ogbunabali, where they are to be transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID.

Items seized from them include laptops, exhibits required for their petition defence, such as Agent’s copy of form EC8 m, Certified True Copy, CTC, of INEC documents.

Rivers State APC Spokesperson Mr. Darlington Nwauju who confirmed the arrest, had earlier raised an alarm on alleged plots by the Police to arrest some members, especially the candidates of the party who have vowed to reclaim their alleged snatched mandate.

At the Police Command was yet to react to the arrest and motive for the arrest at time of filing this report.

It could also be recalled the Tonye Cole, APC Governorship candidate and other members of the party staged a peaceful protest to the INEC Office in Port Harcourt yesterday over the alleged frustration in getting some vital documents to file their petition.

APC PRESS STATEMENT

The statement below

FRESH PLOT TO ARREST RIVERS APC MEMBERS UNCOVERED

The All Progressives Congress party in Rivers State has intercepted very credible intelligence of plots by Police authorities in Rivers State, principally coordinated by a few tactical teams under the command (e.g. C4i unit etc), to begin a manhunt for members of the APC in Rivers State, especially our House of Assembly candidates who are determined to reclaim their mandates through Constitutional means in order to frustrate the push to reclaim these stolen mandates at the Election Petitions Tribunal (EPT).

This latest strategy is to say the least, emblematic of the serial illegality, conspiracy, intimidation and harassment that the opposition political parties have had to face and have continued to face under the despotic reign of the outgoing Government.

We wish to warn Police authorities in Rivers State to stop the open display of partisanship which was brought to the fore on the 25th February and 18th March 2023, when the free will of Rivers people to voluntarily pick their representatives and Governor was scuttled by the INEC and the Nigeria Police Force.

For the purposes of emphasis, no amount of threats, harassments or intimidations can deter Rivers APC from reclaiming all the mandates freely given to our party by Rivers people as we are already aware that the INEC in Rivers State is struggling to provide evidences of the elections it claimed to have “perfectly” conducted in Rivers State on the 25th February and March 18th 2023.

Signed:

Darlington Nwauju

Rivers State APC Spokesperson

31st March