The AnyiChuks Campaign Council (ACC), says it will not be distracted by campaign of calumny being launched against its principal and governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Ifeanyochukwu Odii.
This is contained in a statement issued by Chief Abia Onyike, the council’s Director, Media and Publicity on Friday in Abakaliki and a copy made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The statement read in part: Our attention has been drawn to a vicious and thoughtless campaign and advertisement targeted at our principal, Dr Ifeanyichukwu Odii, a frontline PDP governorship aspirant and two others.
“The mischievous advertisement appeared in a bill board mounted at Presco and Akanu Ibiam junctions and other parts of Abakaliki metropolis.
“In the write-up, titled ` Exposing the David Umahi’s 2023 Agenda’, the hack writer or writers who lacked the courage to pen their names, alleged that the three aspirants whose photographs appeared in the billboard are being set up as Umahi’s ‘underground’ candidates for 2023 governorship election.’’
Then he went ahead to appeal to voters, saying that: “I must tell you to be very careful with these three candidates above.
“The fact is if you want Ebonyi to be better again, please vote wisely because your vote counts.”
The council noted that the write-up was not just the handiwork of anonymous hack writers or incredulous advertisers, that it was allegedly carefully orchestrated campaign of calumny, planted by a governorship aspirant whose campaign project has run into murky waters.
“His resort to this type of campaign strategy signifies his failures and frustrations with the current turn of events and total rejection by Ebonyi people.
“The picture he has painted in his advertisement is not only dubious but a reflection of his false personal imagination.
“The people of Ebonyi and the teeming supporters of AnyiChuks are hereby called upon to ignore the antics of these ‘drowning men’ from an equally drowning campaign organisation,” it added.
The council said the decision to attack AnyiChuks was borne out of the fear that he might have an upper hand in the upcoming governorship primaries in the state.
It said that no amount of falsehood, innuendos and fiendish recriminations that could stop an idea whose time has come.
“Anyichuks is a man of integrity, honour and candour who is loved by Ebonyi electorate from all walks of life.
“We believe that Ebonyi voters are matured enough to decide who will lead them; Anyichuk’s antecedents and pedigree are already in the public domain.
“He is too decent to engage in voodoo politics.
“For the past 17 years, Odii has demonstrated his love and passion for the people of Ebonyi.
“His contract with Ebonyi people has been midwifed by several landmark projects in philanthropy, social entrepreneurship and life changing endeavours.
“To wake up one day and alleged that Odii is being fronted by someone else as a political decoy is the height of fallacy which has no basis in truth and reality.’’
Let us reiterate it here once again that Anyichuks entered the governorship race based on his independent decision as an Ebonyi citizen.
“He is inspired by his love for the people and remains unshakable in his commitment to their cause.
“As an accomplished and successful individual, he can never condescend to the lower status ascribed to political charlatans,” the council said. (NAN)
