The Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State has reacted to the comments on Governor Nyesom Wike by the All Progressives Congress in Cross River State, saying the latter was crying wolf.
Recall that the Cross Rivers State chapter of the APC had attacked Wike following the comments he reportedly made at a rally by the Peoples Democratic Party to flag off its campaigns for the Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency and Akpabuyo State Constituency in Cross River last Saturday.
The Cross River State APC Chairman, Alphonsus Eba, had accused Wike of inciting violence in the state during the PDP rally.
According to Eba,” Nyesom Wike has been a constant meddlesome interloper and today, we want to say that enough is enough. He was here on Saturday to incite violence in Cross River State but it took the maturity of our leader and Governor, Prof Ben Ayade, to avert violence.”
But speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the Rivers State PDP Chairman, Amb Desmond Akawor, described Eba’s comments as callous and lackadaisical.
“When has a mere visit for a political rally become a plot to incite violence in the state or on Mr Eba and his APC party?
“It goes to show the foundational pillars upon which APC builds: political intolerance, zero democracy and zero confirmation of opposition participation.
“Otherwise, why is the Cross Rivers APC wailing and crying wolf over a mere legally and morally justified political rally of the PDP in Cross Rivers State? Are they allergic to opposition activities? That has never and can never be the PDP,” Akawor stated.
The former Nigerian ambassador to South Korea said the PDP was a party with democracy as its watchword, pointing out that if the PDP had acted the way the APC did in Cross River, the APC would have gone into oblivion.
The chieftain said Eba lacked the credentials and capacity to challenge Wike and called on PDP members in Cross River to promote their party without fear.
Meanwhile, a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Tonye Adoki has said neither the APC nor the Inspector-General of Police had the power to bar Wike from visiting Cross River State.
Adoki, who represents Port Harcourt Constituency 1 in the Rivers Assembly said in a statement that no one can deny the governor or any citizen the right of movement insofar as they have not breached the law.
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