Outrage over alleged DSS interference in Rivers election petition

No fewer than three groups, Public Interest Lawyers League, Rivers Renaissance Forum (RRF) and Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), have accused the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) of interfering in the work of the Rivers State election tribunal sitting in Abuja and asked President Muhammadu Buhari to call him to order.

In a petition sent to the President, RRF alleged that the DSS boss planned to “witch hunt, coerce and intimidate electoral and judicial officers connected with or handling matters related to the 2015 general elections held in Rivers as well as the election petition therefrom”.

The petition, signed by Tamuno Peterside, accused the DG of what it described as selective invitation of state Resident Electoral Commissioners, including that of Rivers as well as members of the various panels handling the election petitions arising from the recent elections in the country in a “subtle attempt at directly or indirectly intimidating them and influencing   the outcome of the various petitions presently before the election petition tribunals”.

DSS agentsAccording to the group, it was not within the powers of the DSS to investigate allegations against members of election tribunal since there is a constitutional body to handle cases of misconduct against electoral officers.

While calling on Buhari to call the DSS DG to order so that he does not tarnish the avowed resolve of the federal administration to ensure that the rule of law take its course in all matters, the group  reminded the president that the time for politicking is over and he must treat all Nigerians fairly and not on the basis of political inclinations.

GDI also condemned the alleged DSS harassment

Secretary of the group, Mr Samuel Wonosike, who spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt, said it was unfortunate that the DSS was being used to meddle in the Rivers election petition.

Wonosike said some members of the tribunal were also allegedly invited and harassed by the security body, saying the move was part of a grand design to compromise the tribunal.

Continuing, he said God that made Nyesom Wike governor of the state will ensure those   allegedly trying to manipulate the tribunal did not succeed.

Meanwhile, the Public Interest Lawyers League has alleged “a rash of Gestapo measures aimed at not only interfering with the proceedings at the Rivers election petition tribunal, but also ultimately defeating the ends of justice.”

The group, in a statement by Messrs Abdul Mahmud and Matthew Zibril, President and Executive Director, respectively, went on: “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.

“While we cannot pretend to teach the security agencies their job, it must trouble all lovers of democracy and due process that it is in middle of the hearing of an election petition that vital witnesses are being intimidated by DSS. 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?”