May 16, 2018

People Democratic Party (PDP) leadership in the South-South has described Friday’s violent attack on a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers, as direct assault on democracy.

National Vice Chairman (South-South) of the party, Mr Emmanuel Ogidi, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that all adherents of  democracy in the country were shocked at the incident.

“The attack is a direct assault on our democracy, for a factionalised party to go and lock the premises of the judiciary. It is a coup against democracy and it is unacceptable.

“What is going on in the country is already wild; the killings and bloodletting are unacceptable to us in PDP.

“I was in Port-Harcourt that day, you need to be there and hear gun shots. Everybody was scared.’’

Ogidi said that it was also worrisome that the police was believed to have joined the factionalised members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to lock the court premise.

He advised the security agencies, especially the police, never to take side on matters, particularly as 2019 elections are approaching.

“The security agencies should realise that the oat they took is to ensure that there is peace in the country, protect lives and property of Nigerians, and not for a particular party or persons’’

Ogidi also condemned the violence witnessed during the APC ward and state congresses across the country, saying that the act was becoming threat to citizens’ lives and constituted a bad omen for the nation’s democracy.

“A friend of mine was almost killed in Kaduna because the APC had it stakeholders meeting. What is going on? Just in primary election, people are being killed?  What will happen when the main elections come?’’

He expressed worry with the trend, saying that with the way things were going, Nigerians were no longer sure if the 2019 general elections would hold.

Ogidi recalled that recently, some thugs allegedly sponsored by an APC lawmaker invaded the National Assembly and took the mace of the Senate out of the complex and nothing had been done about it.

“With the way things are going, some persons appear not to want the elections to hold because if they want the elections to hold, they should start doing the correct thing.

“Remember the allegation of registration of infants, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) set up an internal committee to investigate it. How can you investigate yourself?’’ he stated.

He advised the youth to be vigilant and not be used to create violence or problems as the general elections approached.

“The youth should rather defend democracy; they should do the right thing. Nigerian youths are not lazy but they should be careful not to be used for violence.’’

Ogidi, however, assured that PDP in the South-South was prepared to win elections in the region in 2019 as well as protect democracy.