The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the attack on a reporter with Daily Sun, Ndubuisi Orji, by Senator Samuel Anyanwu’s aide, Emmanuel Okoronkwo, was against the party’s ideology and constitution.
The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said Okoronkwo’s act was uncalled for, regrettable and unfortunate.
In a press conference on Tuesday, PDP spokesman stated that the party had a record of upholding the indispensable role of the press in protecting the nation’s democracy.
Recall that Naija News reported that Okonkwo slapped Orji multiple times while trying to perform his duty as a reporter at PDP’s headquarters in Abuja, on Monday.
“The leadership of the PDP has received a very disturbing report that a staff of our Party, Mr. Emmanuel Okoronkwo yesterday (Monday) assaulted, a correspondent of the Sun Newspapers, Mr. Ndubuisi Orji, locked out and forcefully prevented other journalists accredited to cover the activities of the PDP from gaining access into the premises of the National Secretariat of our Party to conduct their legitimate duties.
“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 act of violence and attack on members of the Press and the institution of the Media which is critical to the activities of our Party and the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria.
“For clarity, whereas the PDP National Secretariat is closed for secretarial activities to enable our staff to participate in the Yuletide festivities with their families, it does not preclude anybody particularly the press from having access to the Secretariat to conduct their legitimate business,” he said.
Okoronkow Acted On His Own
PDP spokesman explained that Okoronkwo had no right to prevent Orji from performing his duty, noting that he was not a member of the security department of the party.
“Moreover, Mr. Emmanuel Okoronkwo is not in the security department of the Party and has no business whatsoever regarding the regulation of movements into the complex. He acted on his own, in violation of democratic and all-inclusive principles for the which the PDP is known and outside the code of conduct guiding activities of staff at the PDP National Secretariat,” he explained.
Ologunagba reiterated the party’s commitment to freedom of the press. He assured that the case would be handled in line with the party’s rules.
“The PDP 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.
“The NWC, therefore assures that the issue will be handled in strict compliance with the Party’s established Code of Conduct guiding activities of staffs at the PDP National Secretariat to serve as deterrent against such condemnable act which has no place whatsoever in the character and comportment of the PDP as a political Party.
“The PDP regrets the incident and assures of its unalloyed respect for the Press, particularly members of the PDP Press Corps as we continue as partners in progress for accountability, probity and sustenance of democracy in Nigeria,” he added.