The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Executive Order 21 and Executive Order 22, two state government orders prohibiting political party activity.
Recently signed, Executive Order 21 by Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike bans political parties from utilising public schools for campaign purposes without obtaining permission from the Ministry of Education and paying a non-refundable cost of N5 million.
The decree also requires the parties to submit a written request to the commissioner for education two weeks in advance if they wish to hold a campaign rally at a public school.
In his Executive Order 22, Wike forbade political parties from using private residences as campaign headquarters.
Sogbeye Eli, spokesman for the APC Campaign Council in the state, told journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday that complying with the instructions would be the same as accepting irregularities.
Eli declared, “Our party is not going to apply to anybody for the use of public facilities for campaigns. That will amount to recognising irregularity. We have already approached the court to challenge Executive Orders 21 and 22. So, let the court decide on that.”
He claimed that the PDP’s efforts to ensure that it was the only political party represented on the ballot in the upcoming general election in 2023 had been rendered futile by the Court of Appeal’s decision to overturn the Federal High Court’s ruling excluding APC candidates from the poll.