*NBA Backs Exercise
Tension continues to soar in Rivers state as indigenes woke up on Saturday to the news of a suspected explosion that rocked the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress, APC, headed by the factional caretaker committee chairman, CTC, Chief Tony Okocha.
Some suspected arsonists, in the early hours of Saturday, detonated explosives at the state secretariat of the main opposition political party in Rivers State, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
A short video clip making the rounds on social media platforms indicated that the incident which is suspected to be from dynamites, damaged the main gate and the security post of the APC secretariat and some parts of the building.
Chief Tony Okocha in a short message accused supporters of the Rivers state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, for the attack on the secretariat. “At the wee hours of Saturday, pro-Fubara civilian soldiers detonated dynamites at our office. The second attempt to set it ablaze was foiled as the security at the gate quickly put out the fire.”
Okocha’s APC had announced its withdrawal from today’s local government election citing legal reasons. It is not clear what message the suspected arsonist intended to pass across by detonating the suspected dynamite.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has said that its members will be participating fully as observers in the 5th October 2024 Local Government election in Rivers State because there is no legal impediment against it.
Their position was contained in a communique, signed by all eight chairmen of the Branches of NBA in Rivers State, which was read to newsmen at the Conference Hall of NBA Building in Port Harcourt late on Friday.
The Chairperson of Port Harcourt Branch of NBA, Cordelia U. Eke, who read the communique on behalf of the other chairmen, said it is trite that statutory bodies cannot be stopped from performing their Constitutional duties.
Eke said that Local Government elections are part of the democratic process of Nigeria as provided for in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
She emphasised that because it is sanctioned by law, the Local Government election in Rivers State cannot be an exception.
Eke insisted: “Given the forthcoming elections in Rivers State, on behalf of the eight Branches of the Nigerian Bar Association in the State, we wish to state as follows:
“As we all know, there are several court judgments on the Rivers State Local Government Election issue which are already widely
circulated in the social media.
“Sadly, most of these judgments are from courts of coordinate jurisdiction, and have been subject to diverse interpretations.”
Eke stated that they do not want to over-flog the issues that are on the ground already or stoke the embers that are already burning.
She, however, said it was imperative to reiterate that the Constitution of Nigeria is the ground from which all Government agencies and institutions derive their validity and are bound to obey same.
“We also emphasize that any law or judgment that is inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution, is null and void, to the extent of its inconsistency.
“Security agencies have the constitutional duty of maintaining law and order in the country, but if they choose to abdicate their constitutional role, then, it ridicules our democracy and our Constitution.”
The chairperson of the Port Harcourt Branch of the NBA, therefore, encouraged all residents of Rivers State, who are registered voters to go out on Election Day and exercise their franchise.
She said as the leadership of the NBA in Rivers State, they are also advising Rivers indigenes and residents in the State to be peaceful and law-abiding in the course of the election process.
The NBA chapter chairmen present, who also signed the communique inc.
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