Ikenga Ugochinyere, the spokesperson for the Coalition of United Political Parties, advised PDP governorship candidate Ladi Adebutu on Sunday to focus on his fragile goal “instead of sinking with the troubled national chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu.”
For the Ideato Federal Constituency in Imo State, PDP candidate for the House of Representatives Ugochinyere characterized Adebutu’s outburst against party chiefs demanding Ayu’s departure as inappropriate.
Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, and other party members have recently come under pressure from Adebutu to quit the party if they couldn’t cooperate with Ayu.
Ayu has been urged to step down so that a new national chairman may be elected from the southern zone by Wike, five other PDP state governors, Chief Olabode George, and Ugochinyere, among others.
Adebutu, on the other hand, stated that party members opposed to Ayu could either abide or depart in order to start their own party.
In response, Ugochinyere issued a statement in which he said that only opponents of PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and his ambition would advocate for Ayu’s continued rule despite the opposition to him.
The CUPP representative cautioned Adebutu that party politics are different from sports gambling, which is his area of expertise, while labeling Adebutu’s remarks as unnecessary.
He continued by saying that Adebutu has been depicted as a clown for abandoning his governorship campaign to trash party leaders due to Ayu.
“It is funny how political newbies are willing to rush into the mix to make remarks on matters they know little to nothing about,” the statement said in part.
The blatant ignorance was on display in the statement attributed to Adebutu regarding the PDP’s leadership problem.
Does Adebutu believe that licking Ayu’s boots will save him from his wobbly governorship ambition in Ogun State?
“I admonish Adebutu to run for governor and not sink politically with Ayu. No party member who hopes Alhaji Atiku Abubakar wins the upcoming presidential election will support Ayu in maintaining his position of authority. Adebutu has so identified himself as Atiku’s adversary by his outburst.
Team Adebutu’s campaign
The Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organization, in response, noted that it had been made aware of a statement purporting to be from the CUPP and signed by its spokesperson, Ikenga Ugochinyere, in which it was claimed that Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu had asked Governor Wike of Rivers State and a few other party members to leave.
While Ladi Adebutu/Akinlade Campaign Organization did not want to “dignify the statement with a reaction,” it was said in a counter-statement signed by the director of media that “it is vital to set the records straight in order to explain the misconceptions that the public may harbor.”
“It is saddening that a learned fellow like Ugochinyere will jump on a misleading story headlines published by some media to discredit and cause dissatisfaction for our principal without verifying the authenticity of the statement being made, rather, Ugochinyere had chosen to join the bandwagon in creating unnecessary tension and unwarranted, cheap publicity,” the statement said in part.
“We wish to put in proper perspective that the alleged statement was directed at dissidents and agents of the opposition party, All Progressives Congress within OGUN PDP who had chosen to not submit to the PDP National Working Committee leadership and pick illegalities as a roadmap,” said the statement’s purported author.
