The Imo State chapter of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has debunked reports alleging that the party was attacked in Owerri during its meeting.
The party maintained that although it doesn’t condole any form of political violence, there was the need to correct what it termed gross misinformation and wrong report contained in a recent publication.
NDC, in a press statement through its spokesperson , Ayozie Uchechukwu, stated that the attention of the party was drawn to a widely circulating report attached with video, depicting violent disruption of a gathering in the State.
The party, while distancing itself from the report, categorically stated that the disrupted gathering was never an NDC meeting, adding that there was no way a highly structured party like NDC will hold a gathering without formally notifying and securing the clearance of relevant security agencies.
The party pointed out that it can never risk the safety and security of its party faithful in such a manner.
“Key party leadership was entirely unaware of the gathering. Mr. Emeka Ihueze, the NDC Owerri Municipal Chairman, did not convene and was completely unaware of any such meeting.
“Mr. Stanley Igbo, the Owerri Zonal Chairman of the party, was not informed nor aware of any such gathering. Barrister Reginald Uwakwe, the Imo State Chairman of NDC, has no knowledge of the meeting in question,” the party hinted.
The NDC spokesperson added that to claim that the gathering was an NDC Owerri Municipal meeting is completely false and misleading and urged members of the public, political actors, and media handlers to cross check facts with the official channels of the party before publishing any reports that has to do with its activities.
“Even as the party tends to correct the wrong presentation of the incident, NDC stands firmly on the side of peace, democracy, and human rights.
“We roundly condemn the barbaric actions of the perpetrators of this disturbance as identified in the reports.
“Such acts of violent against individuals gathering peacefully have no place in a civilized society or a healthy democracy,” the party added.
The party used the medium to commiserate with those that sustained injuries during the incident.
It also called on the police and other security agencies to thoroughly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to book.