A staff member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Emmanuel Okoronkwo, assigned to Senator Samuel Anyanwu, reportedly assaulted The Sun Correspondent, Mr. Ndubuisi Orji, on Monday, while he was covering the activities of the opposition party.
Naija News reports that Anyanwu, a former Senator, has faced challenges since the Court of Appeal in Enugu affirmed Sunday Ude-Okoye as the PDP National Secretary, replacing Anyanwu. On December 20, the appellate court upheld an earlier Enugu High Court ruling confirming Ude-Okoye’s appointment.
According to the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the party intends to comply with the court ruling. Subsequently, on December 30, Ude-Okoye officially reported to the PDP secretariat to assume office as directed by the court.
“The main reason why I am here is to resume office. I am resuming today, the 30th of December in obedience to the Appeal Court in Enugu that sacked the former National Secretary and made me the National Secretary of PDP,” Ude-Okoye said. 
Meanwhile, Senator Anyanwu stated in a telephone interview with Daily Sun that he had appealed the ruling and insisted that he remains the party’s authorized representative to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“I have appealed. Nothing is happening. I have filed a stay. All those things are just social media propaganda. Besides, I have a judgment that nobody in PDP can send anything to INEC except me,” he asserted.
Following Ude-Okoye’s visit to the PDP secretariat, Anyanwu reportedly instructed security personnel at the Wadata Plaza not to permit journalists into the premises.
On Monday, when Orji attempted to access the secretariat to report on the situation, security personnel turned him away, citing these directives. They requested that he contact Senator Anyanwu or the Chief Security Officer for authorization.
As Orji headed back to his car, Okoronkwo approached and assaulted him. Reports indicate that Okoronkwo slapped the journalist multiple times and damaged his mobile phone before security personnel intervened to restrain him.
Despite being led away, Okoronkwo allegedly continued to threaten Mr. Orji and other journalists.
The incident was reported to the Wuse Division of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja.
In response, the PDP Press Corps, through its chairman Samuel Ogidan, strongly condemned the attack in a statement and urged the police to ensure justice is served.
The Corps expressed concerns that the assault might have been sanctioned by Senator Anyanwu, citing his confirmation that journalists were barred from the secretariat based on his instructions.
The statement highlighted the importance of press freedom in fostering transparency and accountability in governance and described the assault as a violation of democratic principles.
It further called on PDP leadership to address the incident and take decisive action against Okoronkwo to deter similar occurrences in the future.
The PDP Press Corps also emphasized that the incident underscores the need to safeguard journalists’ rights, especially amidst ongoing leadership disputes within the party.
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