The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed concern over a recent directive by the authorities of Ikwerre Local Government Area (KELGA) in Rivers State stating that groups seeking to meet in the area must obtain approval from the council beforehand.
Charles Wobodo, chairman of the local government, said the measure was intended to protect citizens from violence and kidnapping.
The ADC, however, disagreed, arguing that the law simply aims to curtail the activities of its members in KELGA, which is also Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s — the former minister of transportation — home LGA.
Chizi Enyi, ADC’s state publicity secretary, said the directive raises serious constitutional and democratic concerns. He acknowledged the security situation in parts of the LGA and expressed sympathy for families who had lost loved ones, while reaffirming support for all lawful efforts aimed at restoring peace and public safety.
He, however, pointed out that “the fight against insecurity must not be used as justification for restricting the constitutional rights of law‑abiding citizens.” Enyi stressed that the right to peaceful assembly, freedom of association and political participation are guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and must not be subjected to the personal approval of any local government. Related News Osun SSG, five others arrested as Police recover N4.8m, electoral materials Lekki Port receives first HMM-ONE Mediterranean-West Africa alliance vessel Nigeria Customs pilots digital file tracking system at PTML
