The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, Dr Ifeanyi Odii, has denied the allegation in some quarters that he was hob-nobbing with the All Progressives Congress, in the state, for the purpose of ‘securing’ appointment after the 2023 general elections.
Rumours made the rounds in social media a few days ago that Odii and the APC governorship candidate, Hon. Francis Nwifuru, was sighted in a meeting, at the Oriental Hotels, in Lagos, last week.
But debunking the alleged political romance, the main opposition party’s gubernatorial candidate, Odii, described it as laughable, saying it was a figment of falsehood that emanated from political merchants.
Odii stated this in a statement signed by the Director of Media and Publicity, AnyiChuks (Odii) Grassroots Organisation, Abia Onyike, on Wednesday night.
The statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to another round of fake news concocted by our political opponents. The fake news which is a figment of the imagination of the social media fabricators claimed that the incoming Governor of Ebonyi State- the PDP Governorship candidate, Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii is now working for APC with a view to be offered the post of Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, so as to bring his business associates to invest in Ebonyi State.
“These merchants of falsehood also claimed that there was a meeting between Dr Odii and the APC Guber candidate, Hon Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru at Oriental Hotel, Lagos, where the deal was sealed. This is very laughable.
“We wish to seize this opportunity to inform all Ebonyians in particular and Nigerians in general, especially our teeming supporters that there is no iota of truth whatsoever in the trending fake news. The PDP Governorship candidate, Dr Odii has never met with Nwifuru or anyone else to discuss such mundane issues. Rather, Dr Odii has been busy consulting Ebonyians and strategizing and getting prepared to kick off his campaign in the state and we are highly elated and impressed with the massive positive response Dr Odii has so far received from Ebonyians from all walks of life. This tremendous goodwill that he enjoys is a testimony that the people of the state are willing and ready to elect him as the Governor during the 2023 elections.
“It is this massive popularity which the PDP Governorship candidate enjoys in the state that may have triggered the latest groundless campaign of calumny, which is aimed at deceiving and hoodwinking the people of the state.”
It added, “Dr Odii is a man of principle, character and integrity. He cannot be cajoled into acts of mediocrity and surrogacy. He is a man who cannot start what he cannot finish.
“We, therefore, advise those behind the circulation of the fake news to refrain from such childish propaganda as such undertakings cannot alter the incontrovertible political situation in Ebonyi state today which points to the inevitability of a grand PDP victory in Ebonyi state in the forthcoming 2023 elections.
“The PDP Governorship candidate, Dr Odii is a young man with the drive, capacity and mass support to lead the PDP victory ship to safe anchor. There is no going back on this promise as God has already graciously willed it.”
