Governor Wike issued the restriction order in the Executive Order RVSG – 22 he signed which came into effect on Friday where he prohibited the use of premises, buildings and structures in residential areas as campaign offices.
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has banned politicians and political parties from using residential areas in urban and rural communities as campaign offices.
Governor Wike issued the restriction order in the Executive Order RVSG – 22 he signed which came into effect on Friday where he prohibited the use of premises, buildings and structures in residential areas as campaign offices.
The order was made known in a press statement made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt, the state capital on Tuesday by the State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Alagbo Chris Finebone.
Finebone stated that the Executive Order also prohibits the posting of bills or posters or any other material in unauthorized places.
According to the statement, while signing the Executive Order, Governor Wike condemned the incessant defacement of expensive public properties particularly in the state capital with handbills, banners, posters and all sorts of unauthorized materials posted on the walls and bodies of public properties.
“Any political party or association or body of persons however called or described that wishes to use any premises, building or structure situated in a residential area in any urban area of Rivers State as campaign office must obtain permission from the Rivers State Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning,” the Executive Order 22 also prescribes.
The Commissioner for Information and Communication further stated that the Executive Order is a legal instrument that forces political parties to fulfill certain conditions before embarking on campaign in various parts of the state.
Recall that Governor Wike had earlier prohibited political parties from using public schools for political campaigns without the approval of the state Ministry of Education.
The Governor had said that the Ministry of Education must be notified at least two weeks before the date of any campaign in a school.
“Applicants will also deposit the sum of five million caution fees in case attendees destroy the facilities in the schools,” Governor Wike had ordered, adding that a local council chairman in the state has the right to stop any rally if approval is not sought by the political party carrying out the rally.
He warned that the state government would not allow political parties and their supporters to disturb the peace in the state in the name of political campaigns.