There appears to be no end in sight in the war between governor Nyesom Wike and Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party as the former has dealt a fresh blow in their face off ahead of the February election.
Wike sealed off the Atiku/Okowa campaign office located in the Port Harcourt Government Reservation Area (GRA), after turning down a request by the Campaign Management Committee in the state to use the residential building for political reason.
Atiku supporters in the state described the government action as a violation of right of free expression.
Human rights activist, Shehu Sani, branded the sealing of the campaign office as unfortunate and wrong.
“The report of the sealing of the Atiku Abubakar PDP Presidential campaign office in PH is unfortunate and wrong,” he said on Twitter.
The Director General of the Atiku Campaign Management Committee in the state had, in a November 28, 2022 letter to the Commissioner for Physical Planning, applied to change the use of house No.32 Onne Road, GRA Phase 11.
But in its response of December 19, 2022, the ministry said the purpose for which the application was made was “contracting to the designated use.”
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It said, “We write in reference to your application for Change in Use/Purpose dated 28th November 2022 for your campaign office at No.32 Onne Road, GRA PHASE 11,Port Harcourt.
“In your response to our Notice served,no Title documents was attached.Also your contact phone number cannot be reached.We have sent text messages to this effect to you on the subject matter for you to furnish this office with your Title documents.
“However, we are aware that the area GRA 1 & 11 is designated for residential purpose, therefore the use of the property as a campaign office (semi-public) is contracting to the designated use.
“In the light of the above, your application for Change in Use/Purpose cannot be approved.”
The letter was signed by Stella N.Enyadike, Director, Physical Planning and Transport for the commissioner.
The property was subsequently sealed off.
The Atiku Campaign Committee did not take kindly to the action of the state government which it called a violation of free expression.
It said:”The public is hereby informed that the sealed premises had no bill board or poster, since the approval had not been given, yet it was sealed off, a sign that the delay in the approval is premeditated and computed to cause this sort of unlawfulness.
“We urge our dear leaders in the state to challenge this illegality in a court of competent jurisdiction so that friction can disappear from our political space.
“The right to campaign for preferred candidate is enshrined in the Constitution of Nigeria, which is the grand norm from which every other law derives its power.”