THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday condemned the attempts by hoodlums to disrupt the sitting of members of the Akwa-Ibom state House of Assembly.
In a statement in Abuja, yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, the party also condemned the role allegedly played by the police in the state, in the invasion of the House of Assembly complex by the hoodlum, which led to the breakdown of order in the state legislature.
According to the statement, “the armed thugs, who accompanied a former member of the House of Assembly, Idongesit Ituen, attempted to disrupt proceedings in a bid to stop the House from reading an order of a Federal High Court, which had last week declared his seat vacant following his decampment from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC)
“The court had in a declarative judgment ordered the House of Assembly not to recognise Hon Ituen as a member of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly
“Strangely, last week, the new Police commissioner posted to the state, Mr J.B Abang, without any reasons, reportedly ordered the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to house members an action, which paved the way for the hoodlums to invade the complex and attempted to disrupt proceedings
” Curiously, the hoodlums who attempted to break into the chambers had the backing of policemen, while the members were unprotected, a development which pointed to a high-level official conspiracy against the state legislature
“Though the House of Assembly stood in defence of the law and declared Ituen’s seat as well as those of four others who had decamped from the PDP vacant, in line with the judgment of the court, the PDP completely condemns the action of the police in aiding an invasion of a legislative house.”
While stating that its lawmakers would not be deterred by any form of intimidation and resort to violence by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and compromised security officials, particularly the police, the Party urged Nigerians to hold the Police and the APC responsible should any harm come upon the leadership or any member of the Akwa-Ibom state House of Assembly.