IKEOHA CAMPAIGN ORGANISATION REVEALS PLOT TO SMEAR EKWEREMADU, REITERATES CALL FOR ISSUES BASED CAMPAIGN
Enugu: The Ikeoha Campaign Organisation says it has uncovered a plot by agents of state masquerading as a Civil Society Organisation to launch a smear campaign on the person of former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, over his gubernatorial ambition.
The campaign organisation, while reiterating its commitment to an elevated political discourse going into the 2023 general election, however warned that it would not fold its hands and watch anyone or group destroy the reputation Ekweremadu had built over the years.
Ikeoha Campaign Organisation stated these in a statement issued by its Director-General, Hon. Ogbonna Asogwa, on Saturday.It said: “We have credible information regarding sinister plots by persons masquerading as a CSO and funded by people in the Government of Enugu State to launch a smear campaign on the person of Distinguished Senator Ike Ekweremadu, latching unto malicious petitions and reports of several years ago, some of which have even settled by a court of competent jurisdiction in his favour. “It should be recalled that Senator Ekweremadu, a few years back, briefed Nigerians about malicious petitions against him by discredited persons to security and anti-corruption agencies, stating that it was pure political persecution, as his hands were clean.
.“It is instructive to note that the petitions were authored by persons, who were already disgraced out of office by the National Judicial Council (NJC) and standing trial for corruption in various courts.“It is equally imperative to state that the court ruled in the Senator’s favour in the matters brought against him over baseless assets declaration by the defunct Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Properties headed by Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla.
“We therefore call on the media to be watchful as these sponsored smear campaigners roam from one media house to another, shopping for an unfortunate stead that would buy their rotten wares and into their evil agenda.“We equally call on Nigerians to disregard such smear campaigns, as they are meant to distract the Senator and the good people of Enugu State from the real issues in the Enugu 2023 governorship contest.
“The Ikeoha Campaign Organisation reiterates Ekweremadu’s call for a paradigm shift in the Enugu 2023 election discourses from the mundane and combustive to the dialogical realms where respectful, peaceful, and rational engagements are the order.“People, who seek to serve should put their agenda or programmes on the table for a thorough interrogation as already done by Ekweremadu, rather than running from pillar to pole, squandering scarce public resources on purchased press statements, hollow solidarity visits and rallies, and smear campaigns.
“Of course, while we remain addicted to issues-based campaign, we will certainly not hesitate to generously return, even in a billion folds, any untoward stone hauled at Senator Ekweremadu by people whom we know to live in very fragile glass houses”.
SIGNED:
Hon. Ogbonna Asogwa,
Director-General, Ikeoha Campaign Organisation
19th March 2022