The Peoples Democratic Party, Imo State, has demanded within one week, a public apology from APC led government of Senator Hope Uzodimma for allegedly sponsoring two media reports against former Secretary to the Imo State Government, Hon Uche Onyeagocha and an aide of former governor Emeka Ihedioha, Mr. Aic Akwarandu.
In a statement signed by the party’s spokesman, Mazi Emenike Nmeregini, the opposition party described the reports as frivolous, flippant and contemptuous.
The report had stated that Mr. Uche Onyeagocha and Mr. Akwarandu should be held liable if anything happens to the people of the State.
The party among other things, accused the APC led government of Senator Hope Uzodimma of sponsoring the fake reports in a bid “to build up trumped up charges against the leaders of the major opposition party in the state, the PDP in order to intimidate, oppress and silence them from holding his unpopular administration accountable to the people of Imo State and to conceal his gross incompetence”
The party challenged “Uzodinma or any official of his government to furnish Imo people with proofs to substantiate their baseless claims that Imo PDP leaders are aiding or abetting any group to unleash violence on Imo masses or were behind the scandalous jail-break; if not they should within one week publicly apologize to Imo PDP”
The party said henceforth, “will no longer take these hateful allegations by Uzodinma and his aides lightly again as we will be compelled to challenge the APC government legally.
Part of the statement read“ Uzodinma should be reminded that PDP leaders are law-abiding citizens who recognize the well-being of the people of the state as a top priority as demonstrated by the short-lived Rebuild PDP government led by Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha. Consequently, PDP leaders can never embark on actions capable of jeopardizing the safety and lives of Imolites
“As a virile and credible opposition party, Uzodinma should be told that no amount of intimidation and repression can prevent Imo PDP and its leaders from pushing determinedly alternative views and holding him accountable to the people as provided by the law.
“Uzodinma should be courageous enough to tell Imolites the involvement of his government in the new wave of violence in the state. Particularly the circumstances leading to the change and in-fighting of the National Union of Road Transport Workers.
“The PDP is not unmindful of the serial attempts by Uzodinma–led Government to politicize the insecurity in the State in the face of the credibility and legitimacy it has had to contend with. But we must warn of the dangers in seeking to make political capital of the insecurity in the State for self-serving reasons” part of the statement stated