…Council Chairman, Traditional Rulers Warned Against Order to Remove PDP Billboards, Posters
The Aondoakaa/Ogbenjuwa Campaign Organization has received disturbing reports that the Chairman of Ushongo Local Government Area and some traditional rulers have directed the immediate removal of campaign materials, including billboards, posters and flags belonging to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Benue State, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, ahead of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s scheduled visit to Lobi in Mbaawe Ward of Ushongo.
This directive would represent a brazen abuse of authority, a dangerous assault on democratic freedom, and an unacceptable attempt to intimidate political opponents in their own state.
Ushongo is not a political fiefdom, and no governor, council chairman or traditional ruler has the authority to turn the local government or any other part of the state into a no-go area for opposition parties.
The Aondoakaa/Ogbenjuwa Campaign Organization therefore issues a firm warning to the Ushongo Local Government Chairman and all those behind the directive: any attempt to remove, destroy or tamper with our campaign materials will be treated as a deliberate act of political intimidation and an affront to the democratic rights of the PDP and its supporters.
The scheduled visit of Governor Alia to Lobi cannot become an excuse to suppress the political visibility of Chief Aondoakaa or deny the PDP its legitimate right to campaign. A governor’s visit is not a declaration of political emergency, and it does not confer on his supporters the authority to erase the presence of other political parties.
We remind those issuing these draconian orders that democracy does not operate by intimidation, and political authority is not a licence to violate the rights of others. The people of Ushongo are entitled to their political choices, and no amount of coercion, threats or abuse of office will take that right away from them.
It is particularly disturbing that such a directive should emerge from the home local government area of Chief Aondoakaa who has consistently pursued peaceful, issue-based campaigns. Rather than engage the opposition on governance, policies and the future of Benue State, Governor Alia’s supporters are more interested in confrontation and the suppression of dissent.
Governor Alia who was ordained as a Catholic priest, should be a symbol of peace, restraint and respect for human dignity. It is therefore deeply disappointing that political intimidation should be associated with him.
We call on the governor to rein in his supporters and make it unequivocally clear that Benue State belongs to all its people, irrespective of political affiliation. He must not allow his scheduled visit to Ushongo to become a pretext for provoking political tension or undermining the fundamental freedoms of opposition members.
We also call on the traditional rulers concerned to remain above partisan politics and resist any attempt to drag revered traditional institutions into partisan hostility. Traditional rulers are custodians of the heritage and unity of their communities, not instruments for intimidating political opponents or enforcing the preferences of any political officeholder.
To our members and supporters in Ushongo and other parts of the state, we urge you to remain calm, vigilant and law-abiding. Do not take the law into your own hands. Document any attempt to remove or destroy our campaign materials and report such incidents to the appropriate authorities.
Our commitment to peace must however not be mistaken for weakness, and our restraint must not be interpreted as permission for anyone to trample on our rights. We will not stand by and watch our lawful campaign materials destroyed, nor will we allow any individual or group to intimidate our supporters into political silence.
Those contemplating such actions should understand that no one has a monopoly on intimidation, and no one should mistake the patience of the PDP for an inability to defend its democratic rights through lawful means.
Signed:
Hon. Abraham Waroh
Deputy Director-General
Aondoakaa/Ogbenjuwa Campaign Organization
