By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the immediate release of Premium Times Newspapers reporter, Samuel Ogundipe, who was arrested and detained by the police over a report.
The party also condemned the alleged denial of personal freedom and manhandling of the newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief, Musikilu Mojeed, and its education correspondent, Azeezat Adedigba by the police.
The party made the call in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan yesterday in Abuja.
The opposition party maintained that the continued detention of Mr. Ogundipe is against his fundamental right to freedom as enshrined in the 1999 constitution (as amended).
According to the statement, “The PDP insists that the incessant clampdown on journalists and media houses by the Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration is completely unacceptable in a democracy and only reminiscent of military Decree 4 of 1984 that empowers then dictatorial regime to arrest and detain journalists over reports considered to be against its interest.
“The PDP therefore calls on the general media and all lovers of democracy and free speech in the country to speak out against the unabating assault on the media by the APC administration as such poses a huge threat to our democracy and the rights of citizens in our country”, it said.
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