PDP Convention: I Wasn’t Manhandled, Barred From VIP Box —Metuh

The former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP], Chief Olisa Metuh has denied reports that he was manhandled and barred from sitting in the VIP box at the party’s National Convention held in Abuja.

Chief Metuh stated this in a press release made available to Elombah.com on Monday.

According to him, he has ‘never sat at the VIP box whenever he come for a party event throughout his 17 years in active politics’.

Rather, he had always sat amongst Anambra delegates and enjoyed home invisibility.

The statement reads in full:

In the past 24 hours, I have received calls from a lot of people concerning the misleading online media reports which suggested that I was manhandled and barred from sitting in the VIP box at the just concluded PDP National Convention in Abuja.

It sure reminds me of series of spurious reports that EFCC arrested me just when I was about to flee to some island; or is it the one about chewing my statements and the rest?

The truth is that I have never sat at the VIP box whenever we come for a party event throughout my 17 years in active politics. Our joy has always been to sit amongst the Anambra delegates with all the drama of home invisibility.

However, we visit the box at will to liaise with other leaders on issues as they arise and that was the case in the just concluded convention.

I was never manhandled nor barred from the VIP box, but yes, on the first visit from the Anambra stand to the box, some security operatives had problem with the size of our delegation, which included some B.O.T members, legislators and other individuals. 

This was quickly resolved and we accessed the state box and had our first interaction with those sitting inside the box.

Do I really have to explain how many times I visited the state box or the fact that I was all the times I visited, warmly received by all our leaders present?

The PDP convention was one of the best in terms of planning and execution. 

Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa, indeed, is a perfectionist and he, together with his team, made the entire PDP family proud. 

My concern has always been with post-convention management and this is where we are presently engaged in ensuring that the progress and stability of our party far outweighs individual successes and/or failures. 

I have served our great party, the PDP faithfully; I love my party and I have full confidence in the competence and capacity of the present National Working Committee.

My charge to my able successor, the new National Publicity Secretary of our party is to focus on those issues that Nigerians are concerned about.

The online media will always come with its drama, but let the new NWC remain focused on explaining our party’s stand on the economy, fight against corruption, national unity and other important issues affecting the nation. 

Nigerians now look up to the PDP for direction and we cannot afford to be distracted in any way whatsoever.

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