From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives, on Wednesday, charged the Nigeria Police Force ( NPF) to immediately withdraw charges against the party’s spokesman in Ebonyi State, Nwoba Chika Nwoba.
The caucus, in a statement by its leader, Kingsley Chinda, said Nwoba has not committed any offence known to the 1999 Constitution ( as amended).
The lawmakers accused the Ebonyi State government of allegedly using the State Cybercrimes (Prohibition) Law and the police, to harass the opposition in the state. He noted that the law is ‘not only an affront to civil liberties but an insidious attempt to stifle free and open debate that is at the heart of our democracy.’
Nevertheless, the caucus, while stating that the country’s fledgling democracy is founded on respect for the Rule of Law, noted that the PDP in Ebonyi will not be deterred in playing its role effectively as an opposition party in the state, as well as saying truth to power.
‘Nwoba has not committed any offence known to the Constitution of the Federal Republic 1999 (as amended) and it is no surprise therefore that the Magistrate Court rightly declined jurisdiction to entertain the trumped-up charges filed before it but choose to detain the accused while rejecting the charge.
‘As a caucus, where we do not witness any improvement in the democratic practices in Ebonyi State within a reasonable time, we shall deploy all legislative measures available to us both locally and internationally to safeguard the rights of our party members in Ebonyi State and ensure the enthronement of rule of law,’ the lawmakers said.