Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike’s charge to political parties to seek permission from the State Ministry of Education, before they can use schools for their campaigns has been declared unconstitutional.
According to the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, the charge contravenes the electoral act section 19 of 2022.
On Friday Wike signed an executive order 21 directing political parties to pay N5m to the Rivers State government before the could use public schools for their campaign.
The APC, in a statement signed by its acting Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju, said: “We wish to draw the attention of the public to Section 91 of the 2022 Electoral Act, which resonates with Section 40 of the Constitution.
“And in layman’s language: No political party in Nigeria can be prevented from holding rallies, processions or meetings. It is also the duty of the Commissioner of Police in each state to provide adequate security cover for such rallies or meetings and also in a consultative manner to resolve any conflict of time and venue amongst the political parties.
“No state government can amend any section of the Electoral Act by issuing decrees that are strange to the Electoral Act. The INEC Chairman recently warned state governments against using the power of incumbency to intimidate opponents.
“Will the PDP in Rivers State pay the cautionary fee of N5 million and write applications 2weeks ahead of time before it uses any public school for rallies?
“We suspect that there is a grand plot to deploy all sorts of underhand tactics to intimidate political opponents in the state; narrow the political space, shush every voice of reason and turn all known democratic ethos upside down.”
