The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has called for the immediate removal of the Police Commissioner, Mohammed Ahmed Barde for alleged bias and being a tool for political vendetta.
The publicity secretary, Collins Opurozor made the disclosure, in a statement in reaction to the police summons on PDP to produce former governor Chief Emeka Ihedioha; his former deputy governor, Engr Gerald Irona; and member-elect for Ideato federal constituency, Ikenga Ugochinyere Imo.
The Imo State Police command had directed the PDP state chairman, Chief Charles Ugwu, to produce Ihedioha, Irona and Ugochinyere Imo in connection with kidnapping, arson, and murder.
Opurozor said the state police had become an instrument for political vendetta against members of the PDP.
According to him, Governor Hope Uzodimma has resorted to harassing PDP members using the police.
The publicity secretary said “The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has said in clear terms that the resort to use of police to harass, arrest and incarcerate PDP leaders in Imo State by Senator Hope Uzodinma shows a man who can no longer handle the phobia of his imminent loss of state power.
“This is a calculated attempt by Senator Uzodinma to arrest and keep these prominent leaders of our Party out of circulation during the House of Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday, March 18th, to enable the terrified Uzodinma rig the polls and reestablish a weak and malleable APC-dominated House of Assembly in Imo which can only sing his praises. Imo people must now rise and defend democracy in the State”.
According to the party, Uzodimma is jittery because “he is aware that his sack at the polls by PDP is a decided issue. Falling back on police brutality can only worsen his fate. The plot by Uzodinma to arrest and detain former Governor Ihedioha, Rt. Hon. Irona, Barr. Ikenga Ugochinyere and nine (9) other leaders of Imo PDP is also targeted at destabilizing the PDP governorship primary election in the State which is barely one month away”.
The party expressed concerns that despite repeated attacks on the Ideato federal constituency member-elect, Ikenga, the police was yet to unravel the perpetrators saying “What Imo PDP really considers mind-boggling is that this same police which has failed to investigate three consecutive armed attacks on Ikenga Ugochinyere, in which human lives were lost and assets valued in billions destroyed, has now turned around to invite Ikenga over frivolous allegations brought by Imo’s rampaging dictator. This is exactly what policing should never be”.
The party called on the Inspector-General of Police to quickly intervene and create a more responsible and responsive Police command in Imo state.
Already, Irona is currently being held at the Owerri Correctional Centre on the orders of a high court for alleged felony and treason.
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