Politics
Character Assassination: Apologize To Me Or…, Odogu Tells Delta APC, Jones Erue
By Lawrence Oyibo
A former member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Emakpor Odogu has threatened legal action against the party and its State Chairman, Jones Erue, over false allegations widely published against him on the internet by the party.
Odogu who left the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) few days before the publications as captured in a statement made available to this medium, noted that the APC Chairman who is a blood relation and a clergyman, issued a press release with fabricated, malicious and libelous allegations against his person because he left APC before the September 2021 Isoko South 1 constituency bye election.
He demanded that false allegations levelled against him, be retracted and an apology made on all platforms used to disseminate the release, failure to do so, he will “seek a judicial remedy with appropriate cost”.
The statement titled, “Re: Delta APC Expels Mr. Emakpor Odogu”, reads below.
I wish to draw your attention to the press release of the Delta State APC with the Caption “Delta APC expels Mr. Emakpor Odogu” which was dated 6th September, 2021 and was published in several online Newspapers such as GwG.ng and AsabaMetro.com same day.
Ordinarily I would have ignored the press release if it was for the subject matter of expulsion from the APC alone, because it was a belated issue as I did quitted the APC 2 days to the purported decision of your party (my former party).
But in your infamous press release you raised some grave allegations against me which according to you are but not limited to the followings:
i) Using the name of the state chairman (Prophet Jones Erue) to collect huge sums of money from unsuspecting members of the party, APC)
ii) Creating fraction and disaffection amongst members of the party.
iii) Insubordination and disobedience to lawful directives of the party.
iv) Causing disunity amongst member of the party in Emede ward 5 and Isoko South Chapter of the party because of his (My) ulterior and insidious motives.
v) Using himself (myself) as a purveyor and instrument of disaffection amongst the leadership of the party in Isoko South.
Sir, I take exception to the above allegations which you know are not true. I found it shocking that apart from being my blood cousin, you are seen as a Prophet and a Man of God, yet you will cause a press release with fabricated, malicious and libelous allegations against me just because I quitted the All Progressives Congress APC, a party I elected to join out of my freewill in 2018.
Sir recalls the only differences we ever had in my 3 years stint with APC were the recent events which are:
i) An appeal for your support to be considered for an SWC slot in the ongoing APC Congress. After much appeal and pressure from close family members including your wife you agreed to support me for the position of the APC State Welfare Officer a position to be zoned to Isoko South.
ii) During the aspirations to get a candidate to fly the flag of APC in the just concluded Isoko South bye election we both severally deliberated over a choice of a more sellable candidate to represent the APC in the bye election. We were both having a fair analysis without rancor as to who is the best candidate between Dr. Ogaga Ifowodo and Mr. Emumena Michael (Mc Paul).
iii) It was at this point you pleaded with me to accept the position of the LGA Chairman of APC of Isoko South since the Oleh Community are been graciously asked to produce the party candidates. Sir, you were able to convince me that as a grass root mobilizer it will help me endear myself into the people for future aspiration. I took your advise in good faith and change my aspiration over the party congresses.
iv) During the primary election the APC choose to field Dr. Ogaga Ifowodo against the wish of the people. Sir, you and i knew what happened behind the scene. And this led Mc Paul to quit the APC to SDP as their candidate.
v) Sir, the APC went further to set up the bye election campaign committee without including my name for reason that I never supported Dr. Ogaga Ifowodo but preferred Mc Paul during their contest.
vi) Sir, you went further to accuse me that it was because of my support for Mc Paul that he defeated Ifowodo at our Emede Ward5 during the primary election.
vii) You went further to tell me that the Deputy Senate President (DSP) and the National chairman of the APC are no more comfortable with me being the incoming Isoko South LGA chairman. An accusation I later find out to be false when I put a call across to the DSP office.
viii) When my victimization by you over my preference for Mc Paul against Dr. Ifowodo was becoming unbearable when it didn’t matter any longer as the party ticket was already given to Dr. Ifowodo I started appealing for your understanding that my preference was in the interest of winning the election and not to slight anyone. Members of our family including your wife and a powerful Royal Highness from Isoko intervene to let the matter die you refused. It was at that point I decided to dump the APC and choose to move back to the PDP.
Haven communicated my intention of leaving the APC over your unjust victimization with an intention to rejoin my former political party the PDP you started using the same family members and political associates you ignored their earlier appeal to pressure me to drop my intention of going to the PDP because of the adverse effect it will have on you and the resultant effect on the September 11th bye election. It was when they reported back to you that my mind was made up that you gave me about 4 missed calls. Of course I didn’t pick the calls because I don’t know what to answer you as I was already pre informed by your wife and younger brother that you are calling me for reconciliation.
On the same 6th of September 2021 the Leader of APC in Isoko Nation Chief Lucky Esigie and other APC leaders in Isoko met me at Oleh with the same appeal of not leaving the APC but I told them it was already too late as plans were already in top gear for the Governor of Delta State, His Excellency Dr. Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa to receive me into the PDP at Emede the next day 7th September. Bill boards have been erected in strategic places, Tshirts and face caps has been distributed to my numerous supporters in this regards.
Barely 30 minutes thereafter on the same 6th Sept. 2021 the APC led by you Prophet Jones Erue hurriedly issued a press release with false, malicious and libelous accusations against my innocent self, signed by the publicity Secretary of the party Barr. Sylvester Imonina, and caused to be published in online newspapers and several social media platforms.
Sensing the outcome of the bye election you called for our wide Omanuwhe family (Emede Kingmakers) meeting during which you appeal to them to prevail on me to soft pedal in my campaign and mass mobilization for the PDP because of how an APC poor performance will tell on you as a State Chairman. And they told you to retract the falsified allegations you made against your own blood brother which you agreed to. But till the Election Day and up till now you have not done so.
I am therefore using this medium to officially ask you as the Delta State Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the APC to retract the false allegations within the next one week, using the same means and medium. And I also demand an Apology from you and the party over this clear character assassination. Failure to do this within the one week period I shall not hesitate to cause my lawyer to seek a judicial remedy with appropriate cost.
I trust you will act in honour.