Tony Okafor, Awka
Christian Aburime, the Press Secretary to the Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has said his principal( Soludo) will not retract his comment on a former governor of the state and presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
Aburime stated this on Wednesday in a chat with journalists in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
He said, ”The alleged rift between my principal and Obi is a figment of people’s imagination. They are brothers who may share different political opinions.
”Soludo’s relationship, friendship and brotherhood with Obi is still intact, as against what many people think. I don’t know how people created and magnified a non-existent issue, and how they are reacting to the governor’s comment.”
Soludo, had about last week in an article titled, ‘History beckons and I will not be silent (Part 1),’ attacked Obi, stating that
Obi would not win the 2023 presidential election, adding that Obi was playing a game with his election bid, and that Obi did not have the necessary structure in place to win the presidency on the LP platform.
Before then, Soludo had during an interview on Channels TV ‘Politics Today’ said the investments in Anambra State credited to Obi, were worth ‘’next to nothing.’’
Reacting to the development on Wednesday, Aburime said, “As far as I know, there is no issue between Gov. Soludo and Obi. So I wonder why people disturb themselves and go about shouting in the media, over-reacting and issuing one threat or the other over a non-existent issue they created.These are totally uncalled for and the people indulging in such should have a rethink.
Aburime said the Soludo-led government remained focused on delivering the dividends of democracy to people of Anambra and would not want to be distracted by any form of verbal attack, threat or sponsored charade.
He maintained that Soludo had the right to his opinion and was entitled to it under the 1999 Constitution as Amended and in a democracy and would not succumb to blackmail, threat or attack.
Aburime said Soludo would not retract any statement, adding:”he has no regrets about what he said, because he has actually expressed his own opinion which is his constitutional rights”.
He urged the youths who were threatening to dump heaps of refuse at the government house gates to desist from doing that.
”The youth should refrain from being used as weapons of distabilisation instead of being part of the solution to the challenges facing the state.
”The youths are both the leaders of today and tomorrow. I wonder why they would allow themselves to be used by some individuals.
“Instead of threatening to dump refuse at the Government House, they should rally support for the government of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, because his administration is actually working for the betterment of their lives.
“The governor wants to see that the youth of this present generation and the generation to come will have something that can make life more meaningful for them.
“Aside giving the youths various key positions in his administration, Soludo’s government is also currently training and empowering thousands of youths across the state in different vocational skills; youth empowerment is a major focus of his administration
“So, I advise the youth to think twice,”he said.
THE RAZOR had reported that a youth group, under the aegis of Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) had threatened to dump refuse dumps at the Anambra Government House on Friday to protest Soludo’s attack on Obi.
The group also demanded that Soludo should retract his comments against Obi.
