The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the action of its staff member, Mr. Emmanuel Okoronkwo, who on Monday assaulted a journalist, Mr. Ndubuisi Orji, and forcefully prevented other journalists accredited to cover the activities of the PDP from gaining access to the premises of the national secretariat of the party to conduct their legitimate duties.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, at a press conference on Tuesday, pointed out that “Okoronkwo is not in the security department of the party and has no business whatsoever regarding the regulation of movements into the complex.”
He said Okoronkwo acted on his own, in violation of the democratic and all-inclusive principles for which the PDP is known, and outside the code of conduct guiding the activities of staff at the PDP National Secretariat.
The PDP spokesman said the party is reputed for its uncompromising stand in support and defense of the constitutional freedom of the press and cannot by any means or under any guise whatsoever engage in or condone any act that tends to abridge such legitimate freedom of the media or any person for that matter.
He said the PDP, as a party committed to the rule of law and the democratic tenets of freedom of the press, transparency, and openness, strongly condemns and completely dissociates itself from such an act of violence and attack on members of the press and the institution of the media, which is critical to the activities of the party and the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria.
Ologunagba assured that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party will handle the issue in strict compliance with the PDP’s established code of conduct guiding the activities of staff at the PDP National Secretariat to serve as a deterrent against such a condemnable act, which has no place whatsoever in the character and comportment of the PDP as a political party.
