Truth Spill

PRESS STATEMENT With heavy heart and in the strongest terms to condemn, in its totality, the barbaric and unprovoked attack on members of the Obidient and OK Movement, which occurred today in Asaba, the Delta State capital, at the hands of armed political thugs working for the All Progressives Congress (APC). This brazen assault, carried out in broad daylight, represents a dangerous escalation in the sustained campaign of intimidation and violence that has been repeatedly unleashed on the NDC and her candidates across Delta State. The consequences of today's attack were grave: the Delta Central Coordinator of the Movement was severely wounded, several other members sustained varying degrees of injuries and campaign vehicles alongside private vehicles belonging to members were badly damaged. These are not isolated incidents. They form part of a disturbing pattern of coordinated attacks on the NDC, her candidates, her supporters and allied movements, a pattern designed to stifle lawful political participation, silence dissent and subvert the democratic process through fear and bloodshed. We condemn this sustained campaign of political violence in the strongest possible terms and declare, unequivocally, that Delta State must not be allowed to become a theatre of electoral brigandage. We note with measured hope that, at the time of this publication the Delta State Commissioner of Police invited the leadership of the movement. We await the outcome of the invitation in good faith. We demand nothing less than a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation that leads to the identification, arrest and prosecution of all perpetrators and their sponsors, no matter how highly placed. An attack on lawful citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble and associate is an attack on democracy itself and it must attract the full weight of the law. We also call on all security agencies operating in Delta State to rise to their constitutional duty of protecting lives and property, particularly as the political season intensifies. The people of Delta State deserve to participate in the democratic process without fear of molestation, injury or death. We further call on the relevant authorities to guarantee the safety of the leadership and members of the Movement going forward and to ensure that today's invitation does not become a substitute for genuine action against the real aggressors. We appeal to our members and supporters to remain peaceful, law-abiding and resolute. Violence and provocation will not deter us from our legitimate pursuit of a better Delta State and a better Nigeria. We shall continue to stand firm in defence of democracy, justice and the rule of law. We urge all well-meaning Nigerians, civil society organisations, the media, and the international community to closely monitor developments in Delta State. The repeated assaults on the NDC and her candidates must not be normalised, ignored or swept under the carpet. Enough is enough. Delta State belongs to all Deltans, not to thugs and their sponsors. We demand justice. We await the outcome of the police invitation. And we will not be silenced. Signed Directorate of Media and Communication Obidient Movement, Delta State