The media aide of AnyiChuks Campaign Organisation in Ebonyi State, Chief Abia Onyike has debunked as fake the news circulating on the social media that INEC has delisted candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in the state from participating in the forthcoming general elections.
In a press release issued to the press, Chief Onyike described the news as propaganda from the opposition, adding that the opposition is afraid of the unflinching support of the people of Ebonyi State to the party. He denied that INEC made any changes in its list of cleared candidates for the election that affected candidates of the party in the state.
In a similar response, the INEC Commissioner for Voter Education, Festus Okoye equally debunked the trending news in a press release and maintained that “No final list of candidates for the 2023 general election was released by the commission on Sunday January 8”. He advised the public to discountenance any news purporting that any PDP candidate in Ebonyi state was delisted. “The Commission wishes to state categorically that no new publication of the final list of candidates was released as reported. The public should therefore discountenance the story”, he said.
Chief Onyike said “Our attention has been drawn to the fake news being circulated by some sections of the press and the social media saying that the names of Ebonyi PDP Candidates have been delisted in the INEC portal based on what they termed as “Court Order”.
We wish to make it abundantly clear that the false report is the handiwork of mischief-makers. It is an orchestrated campaign of calumny master-minded by those individuals and parties who are afraid of the rising profile of PDP in Ebonyi State.
The report being circulated by these elements is their own fabrication which INEC has already disowned. The report should therefore be disregarded.
It is well known by all and sundry that the issue of Ebonyi State PDP Governorship Primaries had been finally settled at the Supreme Court of Nigeria which upheld the nomination of Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii as the authentic Governorship candidate of PDP for the 2023 elections.
We hereby call on our teeming supporters and the general public to ignore the mischievous publications and continue their preparations for the 2023 general elections.
Those behind this falsehood are merely looking for a temporary relief, based on their fear of the PDP candidates, especially the Governorship candidate of the party, Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii.
Sooner than later, they will have no room whatsoever for their perennial lies and propaganda.
Ebonyians will vote for their choice Candidates and the will of the people shall prevail.
Abia Onyike,
Director, Media and Publicity,
AnyiChuks GrassRoot Support Organization.
