There seems to be a high level of political intolerance in Rivers State especially with approach of the 2023 general elections slated to begin in February.
There are reports indicating serious destructions of campaign materials in the state which is heightening political tensions in the state.
Almost all the political parties are becoming victims of the political intolerance with billboards and other campaign materials belonging to different political parties and candidates are destroyed at various locations.
Few weeks to general elections, tension in Rivers State has escalated, as campaign materials of parties are destroyed.
The affected political parties include the All Progressives Congress,. APC, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; the Social Democratic Party, SDP; the Accord Party.
Some reports say SDP campaign billboards and posters with the pictures of its governorship candidate, Magnus Abe, in 23 councils of the state, have been vandalised just asmost APC billboards, whose governorship candidate is Tonye Cole, located in Umuokpurukpu in Omuma Council of the state, Uyeanda in Andoni, Chokocho and Egwi in Etche Council have been destroyed.
Accord Party’ standard bearer, Dumu Lulu-Briggs, is not left out, as his campaign materials were equally destroyed.
Campaign materials of Siminialayi Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also suffered the same fate, as campaign materials situated in Etche Council were vandalised,
The APC spokesman in the state, Darlington Nwauju, said: “Political intolerance we see in Rivers State validates the fact that it has become a matter of state policy for the PDP to intimidate other political parties to ensure only their supporters gain access to polling booths on election day.”
“It is very disturbing, we see it as an outburst of frustration for those, who know they will not be in Government House, come May 29 but we are not perturbed because people are waiting for SDP, the more they destroy, the more we put new ones because there is no time and before you know it, we will win the election, ” an SDP chieftain reacted.
While regretting that security agencies have not been active as expected, he urged them to go after the hoodlums and apprehend them to enable others to learn from them.
