Lawyers Allege Threat To Justice In Rivers Election Dispute

Legal practioners in Rivers State have alleged threat to justice in the Rivers State governorship election dispute, as they claimed that officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) are now subjecting key witnesses to intimidation.

Under the aegis of Public Interest Lawyers League, the lawyers said, “We have it on good authority that the Department of State Services (DSS) has invited from Port Harcourt to Abuja key officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, which is a respondent to the election petition. The invited INEC officials include the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dame Gesila Khan; Director of Operations, Administrative Secretary, and Legal Adviser. Some of the officials have been detained beyond the constitutional limits, with no charges preferred against them”

In a statement signed by the president, Abdul Mahmud and Executive Director, Mathew Zibril, they said, “The governorship elections were conducted about three months ago, and none of the electoral officers in Rivers State were intimidated until now that the petition is being heard. This is a clear case of witness tampering. It is unacceptable. Who knows when the Tribunal members may themselves become guests of DSS?”

They express concern that the DSS has allegedly taken the step of inviting, arresting, and detaining key witnesses in the election petition, even when the Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, has not issued any warrant of arrest of the aforesaid persons and officials.

One of the parties to the petition, according to the lawyers, had been claiming that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Port Harcourt was not co-operating with the party’s lawyers over the inspection of election materials.

“We are also aware that security operatives, who covered the governorship elections, ab initio, are being coerced to alter their original security reports. This is all the more curious, as one of the parties to the petition has made it known that it would rely on security reports in aid of its cause,” the group said.