By Charles Igbo
A very prominent Imo State son, astute Politician and entrepreneur, Chief Martin Agbaso, has described as stupid and a lie from the pit of hell, a viral write-up which put his name as one of those the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, is using to infiltrate the camp of Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, to destabilise Obi and LP in their 2023 aspirations.
The write-up, amongst other names, specifically said that Uzodinma, to rubbish Obi in the Owerri North Senatorial Zone where Agbaso hails from, gave Agbaso the sum of N70, 000,000 for the job.
Said the write up:
The incriminating section:
“In Owerri Zone, a new twist occurred. The incumbent Senator, Ezenwa Onyewuchi, who was defeated in PDP went and negotiated with the National Leadership of Labour Party and took the party’s ticket for Senate. But Uzodinma, who has a very serious plot, was not relenting. He immediately noticed that Senator Onyewuchi would not be loyal to him and might not play the role expected of him at the appropriate time, so he needed to shop for an influential figure in APC to move into Labour Party to take the structure and leadership from the incumbent Senator.
For that purpose, Chief Martin Agbaso was sent from APC to Labour Party and given Seventy Million Naira (N70,000,000) for the assignment.”
“In Owerri Zone, a new twist occurred. The incumbent Senator, Ezenwa Onyvewuchi, who was defeated in PDP went and negotiated with the National Leadership of Labour Party and took the party’s ticket for Senate. But Uzodinma, who has a very serious plot, was not relenting. He immediately noticed that Senator Onyewuchi would not be loyal to him and might not play the role expected of him at the appropriate time, so he needed to shop for an influential figure in APC to move into Labour Party to take the structure and leadership from the incumbent Senator.
“For that purpose, Chief Martin Agbaso was sent from APC to Labour Party and given Seventy Million Naira (N70,000,000) for the assignment.”
But in response, Agbaso said: “The story is completely false and a handiwork of desperate politicians.
“I cannot and will never be a tool in the hands of anybody to pursue his or her political interest in any Organisation.”
He said his decision to “join the Labour Party was my personal decision borne out of the desire to be part of a new progressive movement in search of a progressive and just Nigeria which the Labour Party presently represents.”
Agbaso’s statement which he personally signed reads in full:
“My attention has been drawn to a propaganda story titled ‘HOW HOPE UZODINMA HIJACKED PETER OBI’S LABOUR PARTY IN IMO.’
“I wish to alert the General Public that the paragraph that relates to me in the fabricated story is completely false and a handiwork of desperate politicians.
I cannot, and will never be a a tool in the hand of anybody to pursue his or her political interest in any Organisation.
“My joining the Labour Party was my personal decision borne out of the desire to be part of a new Progressive Movement in search of a progressive and just Nigeria which the Labour Party presently represents.
“I am also pleased with the candidacy of Mr Peter Obi as the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party for the 2023 Presidential Election and will join in the mobilisation for his victory and the Party in the General Election.
“I wish to warn those behind the authoring of the Falsehood to stop dragging my name to their illicit pursuit of their Political Ambition.
“I, therefore, warn the General Public to dismiss and disregard the story as entirely untrue.”
Agbaso, whose Chieftaincy Titles are Ochoudo Owerri and Agadaga Emekuku, was a Special Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He was also the presumed winner of the Governorship election in Imo State which was inexplicably cancelled by the Professor Maurice Iwu-led Electoral Commission. In a rerun election which was seen as the height of impunity and unfairness, he was defeated by the Federal and State Governments’ endorsed candidate, Chief Ikedi Ohakim. He had, also won the Senatorial seat of Imo North but the late General Sani Abacha Regime aborted the inauguration of that National Assembly.
His younger brother, Sir Jude Agbaso, was the first Deputy Governor of Imo State under the Rochas Okorocha Administration.
His, recently, late elder sister, Chief Mrs Salome Zainab Marwa, married to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwar, was the First Lady of old Borno State.
