By Gabriel Enogholase
BENIN—FOR the second time in one week, the Police in Edo State, weekend in Benin, disrupted a press conference scheduled to be addressed by the Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia and the Admiral Okhai Akhigbe faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, at its secretariat situated at 42 Siluko Road.

Acting State Chairman of the faction, Elder Sunny Uyigue, his executive members and journalists hurriedly left the venue following the arrival of the police to avert any clash.

It would be recalled that on October 2, 2010, the Edo State Police Command claiming to be acting on orders from above, disrupted the commissioning of the factional state secretariat of the party and fired canisters of teargas at the party members and journalists who were at the venue of the ceremony.

However, in a statement made available to newsmen later, the factional Acting State Chairman of the PDP, Elder Sunny Uyigue , accused the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kachi Udeoji, of acting out a script of an individual in the state.

According to him, “We wish to draw the attention of Mr. Kachi Udeoji, Commissioner of Police, Edo State, and the individual he referred to as “above,” that in a democratic milieu as in Nigeria, we, like other Nigerians, are entitled to the fundamental right of peaceful assembly and association as enshrined and guaranteed by Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Article 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.”

“Accordingly, we hereby wish to apologise to you journalists, who were brutalized in the line of duty on Saturday, October 2, 2010 at the PDP Secreatariat, 42, Siluko Road, Benin City. Through you all, we also extend same to the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State.”

Elder Uyigue reiterated that the Dr. Sam Ogbemudia/Admiral Okhai Akhigbe faction of the Edo PDP remains the authentic State Executive of the party and called on the public to disregard the insinuation from what he called,” the drowning faction of the party in the state”, that Dr. S O Ogbemudia and members of his group are in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

“To this end, we wish to recall the working alliance of Chief Tony Anenih faction of PDP in Edo State, with the Action Congress at the inception of Comrade Oshiomhole’s administration, where three individuals from his faction of PDP in Edo state were made civil Commissioners and a few others as Special Adviser. This is not only anti_party but a disservice to the Peoples Democratic Party”.