28th April, 2022
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
A member of House of Representatives and governorship aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Rivers has denied claims by Governor Nyesom Wike that he attacked the state secretariat of the party with thugs on Wednesday.
Wike had in an earlier statement on Wednesday evening declared the lawmaker representing Bonny-Degema federal Constituency wanted for allegedly disrupting screening of aspirants at Rivers secretariat of PDP wanted.
Wike had ordered police to arrest the lawmaker for attacking the PDP Secretariat with thugs and cultists in a statement by his spokesperson, Kelvin Ebiri.
But while denying the allegation, Dagogo said he was never at the PDP Secretariat where aspirants for National and State Assembly were being screened since he is governorship aspirant.
Rather, the lawmaker said the allegation against him was part of the plot by Wike to stop his screening for governorship position of Rivers scheduled for Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Abuja.
But Dagogo noted that the directives for his arrest violates the spirits of Section 14 and 33 of the Constitution of the Frderal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as as such, the Inspector General of Police should direct the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State not to obey it.
He, however, promised to honour the invitation of the police after his screening and if he was duly invited by the police.
Dagogo also asked the National Chairman of the PDP to urgently investigate the allegation while appealing to civil society Organizations to protect democracy in Nigeria.
Read Dagogo’s full Statement below
Re: Governor Wike declares Hon. Doctor Farah Dagogo Wanted
Our attention has been directed to the statement credited to the Special Assistant to the Governor of Rivers State on Media, Mr. Kelvin Ebiri on the directives of the Governor to the effect that Hon. Doctor Dagogo, a Federal Lawmaker and Governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State be arrested for recruiting cultists to disrupt the screening excercise organized by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for National and State Assembly aspirants.
We State inter allia:
1. Hon. Doctor Farah Dagogo is not a cultist and did not send anyone to disrupt the screening exercise.
2. Hon. Doctor Farah Dagogo was never at the Party Secretariat where the screening process took place. He is Governorship aspirant and not National or State Assembly aspirant.
3. The Governor has taken the decision to credit Hon. Dagogo as sponsor of Cultists in order to stop the screening of Hon. Doctor Farah Dagogo scheduled for tomorrow, April 28, 2022, for the Governorship position of Rivers State.
4. That the directives for the arrest of Hon. Dagogo violates the spirits of Section 14 and 33 of the Constitution of the Frderal Republic of Nigeria, 1999
(As Amended).
5. That the Inspector General of Police should direct the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State not to heed to the directives of the Governor in this circumstance. If the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State considers it incumbent to invite Hon. Doctor Farah Dagogo, he is willing to make himself available on the receipt of an official invite from the police after tomorrow’s screening and not before.
6. Hon. Doctor Farah Dagogo is a respectable and law abiding Federal Lawmaker representing the people of Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives
7. The National Chairman of the PDP is invited to urgently investigate the matters.
7. Civil Society Organizations are urged to protect democracy in Nigeria.
The above is for the attention of all lovers of democracy.
Signed
Ibrahim Lawal
SA Media and Publicity to
Hon. Doctor Farah Dagogo
27/04/2022