By Stanley Nwanosike
A Chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Sebastine Okafor, has extolled former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu’s dedication to the APC and unwavering support to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Okafor, who is a foundation member of the APC, in a statement on Wednesday in Enugu, said that Onu had remained in the forefront of campaigning for Tinubu’s Presidential ambition meant to reshape the country.
He urged APC members and Nigerians to disregard the fake news and wicked allegation flying round that Onu had thrown his support to the candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi.
He also recalled that Onu had earlier in August 2022, through a statement that he personally signed, denied being involved in any endorsement of Peter Obi as the person who did that was Dr SKC Ogbonnia and not him.
Okafor, former Secretary of APC in Enugu North Local Government Area, said that in the statement, Onu described the purveyor of the fake news and attributing it to him “as mischief makers, wicked and unfortunate”.
The APC chieftain said that the former minister, since after the party’s primaries, had been busy mobilising support for the party and all its candidates and did not in any way renege in any of his duties towards the party and her growth.
According to him, Onu is a progressive leader in APC; and a core APC leader who has continued to promote the party’s success in the forthcoming general elections.
He noted that Onu had never for one day, written any letter to the President or the National leadership of the party against its presidential candidate; because he had always been a loyal party man, “who have never changed political party”.
Okafor, who is the state’s Publicity Secretary of Project 774 for Tinubu/Shettima, said: “The story that has been in circulation was not from him but, people who are frightened by his achievements in the party cooked it up against him.
“It is an act of jealousy from some paid green-eyed political monsters who are determined to cause confusion in the party because, they are afraid of Tinubu becoming the next president of the country.
“Because they are determined to justify their paymasters, they went on to edit a post made by a former member of our party, Chief SKC Ogbonnia that was dated Sept. 30, 2022.
“The statement, which was an open letter to the president from a former member of our party, was therefore edited, slanted and published to tarnish the image of Onu.”
The APC Chieftain said that the perpetrators of this wickedness have no reason, if not, only that they are being afraid of the massive support coming from Ọnụ to Tinubu as well as his pending victory.
“It is very important that we tread with caution in this political era and know our boundaries to avoid crossing limits; Dr Ogbonnaya Onu’s gentility should not be mistaken as a weakness.
“He is someone that we hold in high esteem in the South-East and I cannot allow his image to be dented. That article or letter was written by SKC Ogbonnia and not Dr Ogbonnaya Onu. It is verifiable,” he said.
Okafor also said that Ọnụ had been calling for a series of meetings in support of the candidacy of Tinubu in “which I attended one of them recently at his country home in Uburu, Ebonyi State”.
The APC Chieftain said that at the meeting, party leaders and faithful discussed extensively on collection of PVCs, election wining strategies and ideas to give APC and its candidates edge in the general elections.
He, however, urged those peddling such false information against Onu to desist from doing so as he still remains a bona-fide member of the APC and vehemently in support of Tinubu.
“You cannot count or call APC South-East leaders that support the party and its presidential candidate without calling on Dr Ogbonnaya Onu.
“I enjoin those trying to tarnish the image of the former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation to desist from doing so,” he added. (NAN)
