A Correspondent of The Sun Newspaper, Mr. Ndubisi Orji, was on Monday assaulted by one Emmanuel Okoronkwo, an aide to the ousted National Secretary of the party, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu.
Mr. Orji became a victim of Okoronko’s rage after stepping back from a potentially volatile situation.
Okoronkwo had asked Orji who was trying to access the Press Centre to leave because according to him, his boss left clear instructions not to allow “anybody in.”
As Orji made to leave, the aide followed him out and assaulted him with a series of slaps.
Chairman of the PDP Press Corps, Mr. Samuel Ogidan, in a statement condemned the attack describing it as an assault on press freedom.
Ogidan said, “This attack is a grave violation of press freedom and a direct assault on the rights of journalists.
“As essential members of a functional democracy, journalists owe the society an obligation to carry out their duties without fear of violence or any form of intimidation.
“This incident is not only a breach of Mr. Orji's fundamental human rights but also undermines the core principles of free speech and media independence, a virtue which the PDP lays claim to.
“Eye witness accounts indicated that Okoronko attacked Mr. Orji after first, physically preventing him from gaining access to the National Secretariat.
“As Orji made for his vehicle packed outside the vicinity of the secretariat, Okoronkwo pounced on him with a series of slaps heralding other forms of physical assault until private security guards attached to the secretariat rescued him.
“His mobile telephone was damaged during the attack.”
He further said, “In a fit of rage, Anyanwu’s aide threatened to ‘deal with’ Mr. Orji boasting that nothing would happen because he was acting on the orders of his principal who gave specific instructions that journalists should be barred from entering the building by any means possible- including the use of physical force.
“This suggests that the assault may have been sanctioned by the former National Secretary, raising serious concerns about the party’s position on press freedom.
“We are to say the least alarmed when we reached out to Senator Anyanwu who confirmed that he gave instructions restricting movement into the Secretariat “because the party is on break”.
“This, to say the least, confirms our fears of the clear and present danger to our democratically guaranteed rights to keep Nigerians well informed about happenings around them.
“The right to information and the freedom to report are fundamental to ensuring transparency, accountability, and good governance in any democracy.
“This is even more so that the party has been embroiled in a leadership tussle with a court order confirming Anyanwu’s removal from office.
“The PDP Press Corps is deeply alarmed by the use of physical force against any human being not just a journalist.
“The media plays a crucial role in holding leaders accountable and fostering public debate.
“Any action that hinders these rights, particularly by individuals within a political party, poses a dangerous threat to democratic processes.”
The Corps noted that while political differences are natural in any human organization, journalists should not become victims of abuse of power by office holders.
According to Ogidan, “As a first step, the assault on our member has been reported to the Wuse Division of the Nigeria Police Force.
“We also demand that the person or persons involved in this clear violation of Mr. Orji’s rights be brought to book to show evidence that violence has no place in the Nigeria we are striving to build.
“We implore the PDP to take a firm stance against such actions.”
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