By Charles Igbo
The bar of the bitter politics of hatred in Imo State which has seen to the reign of fabricated stories and utter lies, including fake press releases falsely attributed to political aides or their principals, was raised on Tuesday when stories, suddenly, emerged that former Governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, had taken on the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
Ihedioha, a staunch member of the Peoples Democratic Party, and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, was quoted as dismissing both the LP and Obi, as inconsequential in the race to 2023. He said, allegedly, that there were only two Political Parties in Nigeria, the PDP and the All Progressives Congress, APC.
To worsen it, Ihedioha was, also, quoted as saying that any South-easterner supporting Obi is a saboteur.
He was said to have made these comments in Accra, Ghana, where he went, on invitation, to celebrate the Mbaise New Yam Festival.
Since the news hit the headlines, Ihedioha has come under fire by not a few people, many of them, very angry with him.
But in a Press Release on Wednesday, signed by his Media Aide, Chibuike Onyeukwu, Ihedioha said nothing could be further from the truth. He denied talking down on Obi, or calling his supporters in the South-east saboteurs.
Said the statement: “For clarity purposes, His Excellency, neither referred to members of any other political party, especially the Labour Party as saboteurs. He only spoke in the context of the PDP and the emphasis was on the need for members of his party to remain consistent and committed.”
Following is the full text of the statement.
IHEDIOHA RESPECTS PLURALITY OF OPINION AND CHOICES
Few days ago, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha CON, on the invitation of his kinsmen, was in Accra, Ghana to celebrate this year’s Iri Ji festival with the Mbaise community in that country.
As a founding member and one of the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, he seized the opportunity of that visit to address PDP issues nationally but particularly in Imo State and assuage the anxiety of the members his party who have been apprehensive of the developments within the party.
In doing so, he decried what at best is the insouciant attitude and worse, the outright sabotage of some acclaimed party leaders who are engaging in acts that are inimical to the success of the PDP, especially in the Southeast by working in cahoots with the other parties. He was only talking about members of his own political party.
For clarity purposes, His Excellency, neither referred to members of any other political party, especially the Labour Party as saboteurs. He only spoke in the context of the PDP and the emphasis was on the need for members of his party to remain consistent and committed.
It is inconceivable that he will refer to anybody who is supporting Mr. Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, his long time friend, with whom he shares close political affinity and has utmost respect for, as a saboteur.
It is unfortunate that his well-intentioned speech which addressed the specific issue of happenings within his own political party was, again, manipulated by fifth columnists to suit their mischievous scheme of bringing him on a collision with Mr. Peter Obi, whose unwavering political philosophy of “Taking Back Nigeria” from the draconian stranglehold of the failed ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, he wholeheartedly shares.
His Excellency respects the aspirations and passion of members of other political parties, even as he remains committed to the cause of his own political party and it is not in his character to cast aspersions on those who hold contrary political opinion.”
