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Ihedioha Speaks On Calling Peter Obi’s Igbo Supporters Saboteurs

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Nnamdi Kanu
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A former Governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, has denied ridiculing Igbo people who are supporting the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.

The former Speaker of the House of Representatives was reacting to several reports which he was quoted to have described Igbo supporters of the former Governor of Anambra State as saboteurs.

In a statement on Wednesday by his spokesman, Chibuike Onyeukwu, Ihedioha said the mischievous reports were gotten from a viral video which surfaced online on Tuesday.

Ihedioha said his address at the New Yam Festival of Mbaise people living in Ghana was manipulated and taken out of context by his detractors to suit their mischievous scheme.

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The former Imo governor pointed out that he was referring to members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who were sabotaging the party in the South-East.

The statement read, “A 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 of his party who have been apprehensive of the developments within the party.

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“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 South-East by working in cahoots with the other parties. He was only talking about members of his own political party.”

Ihedioha said he couldn’t have called Igbo supporters of Obi saboteurs when he shared a close relationship with the LP presidential candidate and has the utmost respect for him.

He added: “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.

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“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 the 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.”