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The Peoples Democratic Party, or PDP, has called the assessment that Imo State is the most hostile and unsafe place for journalists to practice in Nigeria an indictment of Hope Uzodinma’s government.

In a recent study on the openness index, the Centre for Journalism, Innovation, and Development (CJID) asserted that Imo State is antagonistic to the media.

The PDP was shocked by the state’s recent report, which gave it yet another poor record.

In a news release provided to journalists, Lancelot Obiaku, the state’s PDP spokesperson, said the new report, “State of Press Freedom in Nigeria,” is a serious setback to the state’s reputation under the current government.

The study, which was delivered in Abuja, evaluated press freedom in the Federal Capital Territory as well as the 36 states of Nigeria.

With Imo State ranking 37th and receiving a below-average rating of 40.7 percent—the lowest rating in the entire nation—he continued by saying that the research exposed pervasive repression, intimidation, and obstruction of journalism practice by state actors.

Obiaku said that the report is yet another depressing analysis of what he called Uzodinma’s ruthless rule, which is marked by tyranny and the misuse of authority and, in his opinion, has only succeeded in setting the state backward in every area.

“It presents a sordid trend under the present administration, wherein a once upward-bound state that bore some hope now finds itself tethering ashamedly at the base of all good governance indicators, including accountability, transparency, responsiveness, effectiveness and efficiency.

“For a stagnant state ravaged by insecurity and poverty, these records constantly remind Imo people of their pain in the hands of the rather clueless and mindlessly insensitive Uzodinma administration.” the release stated.

He claimed that the current Uzodinma administration and its operatives only presented his administration as a failure, rife with corruption, by restricting press freedom and keeping government operations secret.

According to the PDP spokesperson, the party, which is a fervent supporter of free expression, is pleading with the Uzodinma-led state administration to demonstrate a strong commitment to reversing the recent report that negatively portrayed the state.

By offering a media-friendly atmosphere and the essential legal framework that will enable journalistic endeavors to flourish in the State, the party counseled Uzodinma to promote press freedom.

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