PRESS STATEMENT

17TH MARCH, 2023

STOP HARASSMENT OF OUR LEADERS IN ETHIOPE WEST LGA, PDP TELLS POLICE; APPEALS FOR NEUTRALITY DURING GOVERNORSHIP/STATE ASSEMBLY ELECTION

Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has been informed of a deliberate plot by the Nigerian Police to invite our top leaders, especially in Oghara and Jesse, Ethiope West LGA, and subsequently, detain them over the weekend, thus removing them physically from participating in the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections, scheduled for Saturday, March 18th, 2023.

Our leaders who have been subjected to this unprovoked intimidation and harassment include: BARR. JOHN NANI,
RT. HON. BEN IGBAKPA, ISAAC OMOMEDIA, JOKPA OYOKOSE, HENRY EGHWUBARE, BENJAMIN OBOH, DUNCAN EGWERE, MRS. HAPPY OTOJARERI, PATRICK ATUMAH, FESTUS MADUKU, NICHOLAS OMOKO, PHILIP OKE, and others.

We unequivocally declare that this is a calculated plot, not only to disenfranchise our leaders and prevent them from exercising their constitutional right to fully participate in the elections, it is also a wicked strategy to remove them from circulation, place them incommunicado and deny our teeming supporters of the critical presence of their leaders at this crucial election.

We hereby caution in strong terms, that we will not take this obvious harassment, intimidation, and suspected temporary incarceration and incapacitation of our leaders during this crucial election weekend, lying low.

PDP is a responsible, law-abiding political party and we therefore humbly urge the respected Inspector General of Police to advise the AIG Zone 5 and his officers and men, to maintain professional neutrality and remain apolitical during the election, not only by deferring their invitation to our leaders, if at all necessary, until after the election, but to also desist forthwith from implementing any other ill-intentioned, anti-democratic ploy to surreptitiously clamp down on our leaders on the eve of an election.

Deltans are convinced that the Nigerian Police would not want to blemish its hard-earned impressive reputation, by engaging in acts of sabotage that can potentially truncate the electoral process and subsequently provoke and unleash a backlash of visible unrest by an aggrieved electorate.

They should allow restraint and wise counsel to prevail in the above regard, please.

The world is keenly watching Delta State and Nigeria.


Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza,
Deputy Director, Media & Publicity,
Delta PDP Campaign Council/ State Publicity Secretary,
Delta State PDP.