The Presidency has denied ever blaming Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma for the non release of Nnamdi Kanu from prison.
It described as fake news a report by Sahara Reporters that President Bola Tinubu told Igbo business community on Monday that Governor Uzodimma was blocking the release of Nnamdi Kanu because of Saturday’s governorship election.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, in a statement denied the fake news. The Imo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, confirmed that he personally spoke with Mr. Bayo Onanuga, who categorically said it never emanated from the Presidency.
“The President never said anything like this and never met Igbo businessmen,” Onanuga wrote.
Emelumba commended the Presidency for debunking the fake news, which he alleged was planted by the opposition.
He said, “This is part of the vicious and childish propaganda by the PDP to antagonise Imo voters against Gov Hope Uzodimma. But as always, it has backfired on them. The PDP is so rattled by their impending humiliation on Saturday that it has become paranoid”.
Emelumba said that the timely intervention of the Presidency, which made it clear that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu never made such a statement, has punctured the plan of the PDP and the opposition.
He noted that Uzodimma, along with other Igbo leaders, had been interfacing with the Federal Government for the release of Nnamdi Kanu and therefore, cannot work against that collective goal.
The Honourable Commissioner declared that it has become obvious to the opposition that they would be trounced by Uzodimma and APC in the election, hence their resort to vile propaganda, lies and blackmail.
He insisted that no degree of blackmail by the opposition would dissuade Imo voters from returning Uzodimma to office based on his superlative performance in the last four years.
He called on Imo people to continue to ignore the antics of the opposition and focus on exercising their franchise peacefully on November 11th.