Let me begin by thanking the Ogoni people especially the delegates to the last MOSOP national elections in Bori. Your conduct was a clear indication of your commitment to a more peaceful and prosperous Ogoni in the years ahead.

Since Wednesday, December 30, I have been inundated with some shocking and highly misleading claims from two quarters:

The first is an online publication by my friend, Anselm John-Miller, claiming the molestation of one Comrade Victor Barima Wifa by men of the Nigerian Police on the orders of the MOSOP President, Mr Saro-Pyagbara.

The second is a laughable media claim by one of the contestants to the presidency of MOSOP, Chief Mike Lube-Nwidobie, accusing the electoral committee of bias and calling for cancellations.

I will address these two issues as one who was present at the election venue, as an eye witness to the events that took place and as a member of MOSOP who is quite knowledgeable about our procedures.

The electoral committee had checked in all the contestants and delegates at about noon. Voting commenced almost immediately. The police demanded that all non-delegates should stay some 100 metres away from the election venue.

Victor Barima Wifa had arrived the venue while voting was on-going and was denied access to the hall were elections were holding. He demanded to meet with the MOSOP president, who, unfortunately, could not be allowed outside the election hall at the time. The police requested that he kept the required distance from the election venue but he refused, insisting on meeting Mr Pyagbara. Because he was shabbily dressed in shorts and sleeveless underwear, the police could not trust him suspecting he could be up for some trouble. He was dragged out of the venue into his car and asked to leave. Comrade Victor Barima Wifa later returned to the venue of the elections threatening to deal with the MOSOP president and to organise the disruption of the forthcoming Ogoni Day celebrations. I can confirm that at no time was he molested by the Police

Mr. John-Miller’s ignorant claims are baseless and fabricated to achieve a preconceived notion against the leadership of MOSOP.

On Chief Mike Lube-Nwidobie and the election’s credibility, I first noticed Nwidobie showing signs of poor conduct when he wanted to force himself into the election hall, violating the instructions of the electoral committee. When later checked in and called upon to deliver his manifesto before the voting delegates, Nwidobie began with the distribution of a printed message to the delegates. He raised some very frivolous accusations against the electoral committee and used some very derogatory words against the delegates and the MOSOP leadership.

I wonder how a man who picked his intent form, passed through the screening processes, and made himself available for election suddenly turned against the process at the point he came to be elected and was given an opportunity to deliver his manifesto.

Chief Nwidobie clearly represented an unserious mind not competent to lead the emerging MOSOP. He probably realised his mismatch and opted to pull out, but not without some excuses.

Conclusively, both Nwidobie and John-MIller may be acting an already prepared script pointing to earlier security warnings of a gang-up to frustrate the MOSOP elections and the Ogoni Day. John-Miller’s accusations without any effort to investigate the truth about the purported molestation of Comrade Wifa and Nwidobie’s charade is clear representation of indiscipline and disrespect for the MOSOP leadership which the disciplinary committee will need to urgently address.

•Fegalo Nsuke is editor of ogoninews.com and the newly elected Publicity Secretary of MOSOP.

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