The Senatorial Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for Enugu North Senatorial District, Rt. Hon. Dr. Pat Oziokoja Asadu, has condemned the alleged teargassing of members of the party by police officers during a town hall meeting in Orba, Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Asadu described the incident as an attack on peaceful citizens, demanding an urgent, independent and transparent investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged police action.
In a press statement issued Enugu on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, the former federal lawmaker said the incident occurred on November 2 during a town hall meeting at Umuokara Village Hall, Orba, which he maintained was a lawful gathering duly approved by the Nigeria Police.
He explained that the meeting was organised to provide an opportunity for elderly men and women to interact with their sons and daughters, including the NDC Deputy Governorship Candidate, Dr. Frank Omeje, popularly known as Okenwa.
According to him, the gathering was neither a protest nor a clandestine meeting but a peaceful political engagement.
Asadu alleged that the Police had earlier attempted to persuade the party to cancel the meeting because a rival political party was holding an event at Obollo-Afor, a neighbouring community.
He, however, argued that both political activities could have taken place simultaneously without any security breach, insisting that the police had a responsibility to protect all political parties and their supporters.
He questioned why a gathering that had received police approval would subsequently be subjected to teargas.
The NDC candidate described the alleged deployment of teargas against elderly participants as insensitive and unacceptable, warning that it could have resulted in serious injuries or loss of lives.
He further maintained that public facilities and spaces funded with taxpayers' money should be accessible to all registered political parties, rather than being reserved for the party in government.
Asadu also raised concerns over what he described as unequal political opportunities in Enugu State, alleging that opposition parties were being denied access to public spaces and other platforms available to the ruling party.
He called on political stakeholders, democratic institutions and well-meaning Nigerians to condemn any attempt to use state power to intimidate opposition parties.
The former lawmaker reminded the Nigeria Police Force that its constitutional responsibility was to protect lives and property, maintain public order and safeguard the fundamental rights of citizens, irrespective of their political affiliations.
Consequently, he demanded an independent investigation into the alleged incident, the identification and prosecution of any officers found culpable, and guarantees for the safety of NDC members and other citizens participating in lawful political activities across the state.
Reaffirming the party's commitment to peaceful democratic participation and good governance, Asadu declared that intimidation would not discourage its members from exercising their constitutional rights.
"Our people deserve protection, not oppression. We deserve and demand real and measurable development, not teargas," he stated.
He cautioned against actions capable of plunging Enugu into political instability and retaliatory violence, stressing that the party had chosen lawful and legitimate means of expressing its political convictions.
Asadu urged the authorities to ensure that political differences did not become a basis for denying citizens their democratic rights.
Meanwhile, efforts to obtain the reaction of the Enugu State Police Command's Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, proved unsuccessful, as repeated calls placed to his telephone were not answered as of the time of filing this report.
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