Nigerians have been alerted to a sinister plot being hatched by a group of politicians to execute a campaign of calumny against the Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma.
Part of the campaign is to engage in spurious media attacks on the governor using the recent inconclusive Edo APC governorship primaries as a plank.
In a statement in Enugu yesterday, a pressure cum cultural organisation, Igbo Renaissance for Progress asserted that it has intelligence reports that former Director of Voice of Nigeria, Mr Osita Okechukwu is leading the group.
According to its coordinator, Nze Nwankwo Njoku, Okechukwu is still sulking over his loss of ministerial appointment which he attributes to the governor.
According to Njoku, the former VOA helmsman has vowed to do all within his power to destabilise Uzodi ma in every way possible.
Said he” those who read Okechukwu’s virulent attacks on Uzodinma over the Edo debacle would understand that the man has a mission which is to damage the image of the governor who is the leader of the APC in the south east. “
He noted that while other critics of the Edo matter restricted themselves to the issues, Okechukwu went overboard, calling for the sack of Uzodinma as Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum.
He said members of his group were alarmed by the vitriolic attacks on Uzodinma by Okechukwu showing that he was actually on the payroll of politicians envious of the rising national profile of the governor.
” We know for a fact that that man is still embittered that Uzodinma chose Uche Nnaji over him for ministerial nomination. But his attempts to rubbish the Imo state governor would be resisted by us”, Njoku averred.
He noted that contrary to the claims by Okechukwu, Uzodinma has used his position as chairman of Progressive Congress Forum to benefit Ndigbo and the people.
He listed the appointment of an Igbo man as chief of naval staff, the dredging of Oguta Lake to the Atlantic with the concomitant economic milestone and several other benefits as evidence of what Hope Uzodinma has done with his position.
” Indeed Okechukwu should know that APC does not revolve around him. We have more qualified stakeholders who should be respected in Igbo land. He is not a match to Uzodinma, so blackmailing him will not work “, he submitted.
He threatened that his group will declare Okechukwu a persona non grata in the south east if he doesn’t refrain from his unholy alliance with his Cohorts to destroy Uzodinma ‘s image.