Scores of people were injured while business activities were paralysed in parts of Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, yesterday as supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) clashed with those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Thousands of protesting members of APC drawn from 23 local government areas of the state had stormed the premises of the High Court complex around 7 am, alleging a plot by Senator Magnus Abe and his allies, including the state governor, Nyesom Wike, to abort today’s local government congress of the party through a court injunction.

They chased out court officials who had reported for work while the front and back gates of the expansive complex were shut.

The APC protesters then proceeded to take over the dualised Station Road around 8.30 am, causing a gridlock on the ever-busy road, with the commercial banks, offices and business outfits in the area quickly shutting their doors as they feared possible attack.

Judges, lawyers, judiciary workers, journalists and other members of the public were prevented from gaining access the Rivers State Judiciary complex, which also hosts a number of magistrate and high courts, the office of the Rivers State Judicial Service Commission and that of the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Adama Iyayi-Lamikanra.

The APC members continued their peaceful protest, carrying placards with inscriptions like “Wike, allow APC members to do their things”, “No APC congress, no court sitting”, “Wike, stop using judiciary against APC”, “Judiciary has become Wike’s property”, “Wike, face PDP’s problems, leave APC alone”, Wike must go”, “Wike, stop wasting Rivers money on judges”, “Wike, APC must take over”, “Abe, it is a lost battle” and ”Abe, you are ungrateful.”

Events took a new turn around 9.55 am. When a horde of PDP youths chanting “PDP! Power!” forced their way into the court premises through the back gate and advanced towards the main gate, hurling broken bottles, stones and other dangerous objects at the protesting APC members on Station Road.

The protesting APC members responded by throwing back the missiles hurled at them by the PDP supporters until a violent atmosphere prevailed, leaving scores of people, including passers-by, injured.

The situation attracted the attention of policemen and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), who started firing live bullets into the air to disperse the warring parties, while the dualised road was barricaded at both ends to restore normalcy.

With the roads barricaded and policemen patrolling with unmarked Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), pedestrians hurriedly looked for alternative routes to avoid being hit by stray bullets. But many of them fell victim to hoodlums armed with weapons, who started robbing them of money and valuable items.

Among the victims was the Head of News of Silverbird Television (STV)/Rhythm FM in Port Harcourt, Mrs. Monica Ogwa, who was dispossessed of her bag by hoodlums who pointed a dagger at her while she was looking for an escape route from the deafening gunshots.

The snatched bag was said to contain her car key, phones, ATM cards, cash, vital documents and other important items.

The Rivers State High Court, sitting under tight security, later granted an order of interlocutory injunction restraining Rivers APC from holding today’s LG congress.

The matter was adjourned till June 26 for hearing, based on the motion on notice filed by a faction of the APC allegedly disenfranchised during last Saturday’s ward congress, seeking to stop the LG congress.

Justice Chiwendu Nwogu of Rivers High Court, who delivered the ruling on the motion on notice, stopped APC from going ahead with the LG congress.

One of the counsel to the aggrieved APC members, Henry Bellow, said: “I am a counsel to members of the APC who were unconstitutionally excluded from participating in the purported ward congress, even after they had satisfied the conditions precedent to their participation in the ward congress, according to APC guidelines.

“They paid money for nomination forms but got to the APC secretariat (in Port Harcourt) and it was locked only to hear that winners had emerged in the ward congress. It is against the constitution of the party.”

In spite of the court injunction, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Rivers State, Chief Chris Finebone, who addressed reporters under a canopy at the vandalised state secretariat of the party on Forces Avenue, old Government Reservation Area, Port Harcourt yesterday, insisted that peaceful LG congress would hold today as planned, adding that the process had long begun and could not be stopped.

Finebone accused the Rivers State Government of mobilising PDP members to disrupt the peaceful protest organised by APC members in front of the court, describing it as an affront on democracy.

He said: “What happened today (yesterday) is a proof that our earlier alarm that a small group in APC collected money from Wike to destabilise and sabotage the APC came to light, as PDP members came to destabilise the protest of APC around the court.

“What we saw was the mobilisation of thugs by a Wike ally. Ordinarily, the PDP would not have had concerns about what was happening today (yesterday) at the court.

“Our position is that the congress started long ago. The train had long left the station. Our congress is not a stand-alone thing.

“Legally, there is nothing anybody can do to a process that has started. The LG congress is a continuation of it.

“Rivers APC has not been served any letter of injunction. So, the congress will hold as planned, including that ofMay 19.

“The intervention of the PDP is not necessary. It shows that the government of Rivers State is out to pocket the judiciary.

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, who later visited the high court complex to ascertain the level of damage done by the protesters, said the barricading of the court and the protest would be thoroughly investigated.

Wike said: “This is very unfortunate. Do not trivialise this invasion by saying it is just an attack by the APC on the judiciary. This is a complete coup by the Nigerian police and the APC to overthrow the Rivers State Government.

“We have said it before and we have been vindicated by this callous joint invasion of the Rivers State judiciary.

“We cannot continue to rely on the police to defend us. We must all stand up to defend democracy. What has happened is a sign of what APC and police have planned.

“APC’s Federal Government is not prepared for elections. Therefore, they want to truncate the nation’s democracy. They are fomenting trouble to create an avenue for the military to take over.

“Nobody invaded the court. This action by the police and APC is not acceptable. We must defend ourselves and the nation’s democracy. We cannot continue to rely on the police. Remember, it was the police that kidnapped a sitting governor.

“Nigerians have rejected the APC and there is nothing anybody can do about it. Since they are unpopular, they want to truncate the nation’s democracy.”

The governor also lauded youths of the state for rising in defence of their mandate by mobilising to open the courts despite the shootings by policemen.

Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Emmanuel Aguma, SAN, who said the rule of law was under threat in Rivers, said that many facilities and valuable property within the court premises were vandalised, while the car of a magistrate, Andrew Jaja, who was the first to come to court, was totally damaged by the protesters while Jaja was also rough-handled.

The lawmaker representing Rivers Southeast Senatorial District, Senator Magnus Abe, was contacted through his spokesperson, Parry Benson, to react to the allegations levelled against him by the protesters, but he had not fulfilled his promised response at press time.

A chieftain of the APC, Prince Tonye Princewill, said: “From what happened this (yesterday) morning, it is clear that some members of the judiciary in Rivers State are being pocketed to do the biddings of the PDP.

“How else can you explain a court sitting on our matter in secret, with a view to giving judgment today (yesterday) without hearing from us? Can a court in Port Harcourt give judgement on a nationwide congress? No. They failed and will continue to fail.

“A group of lawful protesters dispersed with tear gas, shot at by unsavoury elements and beaten black and blue is an indication of the conspiracy, but it will not interrupt justice.

“Our people are bold. APC’s congresses will hold.”

•Text (excluding headline): The Nation.

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