After allegations of interference by security agencies in the hearing of cases before the state election petition tribunal, 16 senators and members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State have submitted a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene.
Wike and Peterside
In the petition, which listed Senator George Sekibo and Mrs. Betty Apiafi, both of the Peoples Democratic Party as signatories amongst others, said the Department of State Services operatives had allegedly aligned with the All Progressives Congress to appear before the tribunal to testify.
“Your Excellency, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, we bring above actions of your officers to your notice and pray that you caution the Director, SSS, and Chief of Army Staff and indeed all other security agencies to desist from meddling with the electoral process, which presently is before the tribunals.
“Our institutions, particularly security institutions, should not only be incorruptible and apolitical, but should be seen to be incorruptible and apolitical. We trust on your timely intervention,” the petition reads in part.
The Punch newspaper reports that the lawmakers referred Buhari to an earlier July 23 petition, where they raised a similar complaint over the alleged harassment of Independent National Electoral Commission officials and judicial officials by security operatives.
The lawmakers feared that the aim of the security agencies in working with the APC was to arrive at a conclusion that elections were not held in Rivers State during the March 28 and April 11 general polls.
The governorship candidate of the APC in Rivers state, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, was teargased and denied entry to the INEC office by police in Abuja.
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