The whereabouts of a lawyer to the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Dr Godswill Dike, allegedly kidnapped at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Port Harcourt on Thursday evening is still unknown.
Dike, who is the brother to the State APC legal adviser, Barr Azubuike Dike, was reportedly abducted by hoodlums who lay siege to the INEC office.
The spokesman for the state APC 2023 Governorship Campaign Council, Sogbeye Eli, disclosed this during a press briefing he jointly addressed with the state Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju, in Port Harcourt.
Eli said Dike was kidnapped while he went to INEC to request the Certified True Copies of election documents used for the March 18 poll in the state to enable the party to file its applications at the election petition tribunal.
He accused some chieftains of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state of masterminding Dike’s abduction and carting away the CTC documents in his possession.
He expressed fears about Dike’s safety and whereabouts and the CTC documents released to him by INEC.
He stated, “We have just been informed about the abduction of Dr. Godswill Dike, a lawyer, member of our party, and brother of the state Legal Adviser, Barr. Azubuike Dike, this evening right inside the Rivers State Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission on Aba Road, Port Harcourt.
“Dr. Godswill Dike was invited to the commission to take delivery of the certified true copies of the INEC documents that we applied for pursuant to the provisions of Section 74 of the Electoral Act 2022.
“Acting apparently on a tip-off, Edison Ehie and Samuel Nwasonike, aided by the surge of the PDP mob outside the premises swooped on him inside the INEC office shortly after Dr. Godswill Dike signed for the documents and sped away with him to the State Assembly residential Quarters behind the INEC State Headquarters.
“Our initial reaction was to establish contact with the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Jackson Alalibo Semikien, to report the criminal abduction of Dike. Curiously, the REC who has done nothing beyond a press release two days ago directing political parties to proceed to LGA Offices of the commission for the election documents they may require.
“He told our governorship candidate emphatically that there was nothing the commission could do, having released the documents we applied for to Dr. Godswill Dike.”
Continuing, he said, “Contacts have also been made with the Deputy Speaker who assured his caller that Dike would return safe but the materials they took from him should be forgotten.
“A call made by our governorship candidate to the military also yielded no fruit with the hierarchy stating that until the military receives an invitation from the police, they cannot be involved in a purely civil operation.
“In the circumstance, we are left with no option but to call on the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to immediately go after the Deputy Speaker, Edison Ehie, and the Ikwerre Council Chairman, Samuel Nwanosike, to safeguard the life of Dike and retrieve our election materials from his abductors.”
But in a swift reaction, one of those accused in the alleged abduction and Chairman of Ikwerre LGA, Samuel Nwanosike, debunked the allegation, saying, “How can I kidnap somebody in a party that we won fair and square in the election?
“Sogbeye Eli is somebody that speaks from both sides of his mouth. The truth is that APC is not ready to play politics.”
He explained that PDP was at the INEC office to protest a suspected infraction and that inspection of election materials should be done jointly by the political parties for fairness and transparency.
“Yes, we have been at the INEC office and our mission is clear, which is to demand from INEC that inspection of election materials should be done jointly by the parties.
“How can the APC turn around to say we or I kidnap their lawyer? That is a distraction. I can never do a thing like that. Those making the allegation know that we (PDP) won the election and that is why they are looking for ways to change the results.
“We will not allow that to happen. And we plead with INEC to be firm and do what is right within the law,” Nwanosike added.
Efforts to reach the State INEC REC, Dr Johnson Alalibo, were unsuccessful as he did not answer calls put across to his mobile phone.
He had yet to reply to a text and WhatsApp messages sent to him as of the time of filing this report.
Also, the state Commissioner of Police, Okon Effiong, did not pick up his call and had yet to reply to a message sent to him.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she was yet to get such a report.
“When did it happen? I have not received such a report, but I will find out and get back to you,” she stated.
Iringe-Koko had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
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