Chief Olisa Metuh who is the former national publicity secretary of Nigeria’s main opposition party – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has said he has no regrets following all his travails while claiming they were all politically motivated.
The lawyer turned politician who was released from prison on bail in December 2020 stated this while speaking to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday.
Olisa Metuh said that it has become clear that his arrest and detention, court case, and persecution were politically motivated.
‘It is clear that my travails and ordeals were politically motivated to suppress the voice of the opposition, which I represented then, but I don’t regret anything I did as opposition spokesperson.
‘All I did was in line with my patriotic duty in defending democracy and its tenets which were being assaulted; alerting the nation and cautioning on wrong policies while providing alternative ideas that would help move our nation forward.
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‘Moreover, my roles, not only as a spokesperson but also as a famed party administrator was prominent in holding our party together, restoring hope in our members and Nigerians in general.
Metuh said certain forces that were not comfortable with his activities tried to stifle the PDP leading to his arrest.
‘Of course, there were forces who were not comfortable with my activities and sought to stifle our party. So I was arrested, labeled, handcuffed, and paraded like a common criminal; denied access to medical treatment while lies, fabrications, and falsehood were published against me’. He stated.
He stressed his commitment to the advancement of democratic culture in Nigeria, noting that contestation of ideas has to be embraced.
Metuh finally urged Nigerians not to be deterred in defending democracy.
The EFCC is expected to re-arraign the former opposition spokesman in the coming weeks after the appeal court ordered for his retrial.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK