Ibraye, who stated this while reacting to the report of the arrests of a chieftain of the Ijaw Youths Council and lawmaker representing the Aboada West Constituency of the state House of Assembly, Sokari Goodboy and Mr. Ezebunwo Ichemati, a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the police at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, said he was deeply troubled where opposition party individuals are politically targeted and arrested.
The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2023 general elections in Rivers State, Chief Tonte Ibraye, has decried the stifling of civic space in the state.
Ibraye, who stated this while reacting to the report of the arrests of a chieftain of the Ijaw Youths Council and lawmaker representing the Aboada West Constituency of the state House of Assembly, Sokari Goodboy and Mr. Ezebunwo Ichemati, a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the police at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, said he was deeply troubled where opposition party individuals are politically targeted and arrested.
The duo, loyalists of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, were reportedly arrested outside the venue of the National Executive Committee meeting of the PDP in Abuja on Thursday.
In a viral video of the incident, a woman was overheard saying that two men were arrested on the orders of a Local Government chairman in Rivers State.
She stated, “All of us, the media team that came from Rivers State were together. The next thing – he (the LG Chairman) pointed out that they should arrest the present serving Assembly member who is representing the good people of Aboada West.
“The next thing that came up again, he started giving them instructions he attacked Ezebunwo and tore his shirt.
“We don’t even know what we are doing here because he has ordered that they should arrest all of us.”
But the politician condemned the arrest insisting that democracy thrives on the free exchange of ideas and opinions.
Ibraye, who took to his Facebook page to condemn the atrocities wrote, "As a concerned citizen from Rivers State, I am deeply troubled by recent events where individuals expressing dissenting voices are politically targeted and arrested. Democracy thrives on the free exchange of ideas and opinions, and such actions pose a threat to our fundamental rights and freedoms.
"I urge the Nigeria Police Force to provide transparency and accountability by explaining the whereabouts and reasons for the arrest of a chieftain of the Ijaw Youths Council, Hon. Sokari Goodboy and Mr. Ezebunwo Ichemati".