From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
A political pressure group in Abia State, Ukwa La Ngwa Council of Elders has denied adopting the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 election.
The council has also stated it is neither an agency of the government of Abia State nor an extension of any political party, including the PDP.
In a statement, the leader of the group, Dr Max Nduaguibe, said the clarification became imperative because contrary to what was being peddled in some quarters, that he had advised some overzealous PDP members who belong to the group not to be in a haste in adopting anyone who has emerged as a candidate until the appropriate time.
The statement read in part: “I, Max Nduaguibe, as the promoter, leader and chairman of Ukwa la Ngwa Council of Elders have continuously advised some overzealous PDP members in our midst not to be in a haste in adopting anyone of our sons who have emerged as candidate until the appropriate time when we would have had a chat with them and studied the political atmosphere in the state.
“Notwithstanding my advice, some tiny group of PDP members amongst us have continuously, in the last three weeks, been pressuring me to use me as a rubber stamp, to give my imprimatur to their selfish agenda in the name, supposedly of Ukwa La Ngwa Council of Elders, in order to adopt the PDP candidate prematurely.
“Upon my rejection of their plan they have now created a platform of PDP members in order to hoodwink Abians to believe that the Ukwa La Ngwa Council of Elders has adopted the PDP candidate. Nothing is further from the truth.
“All people of Ukwa la Ngwa extraction, and the general public, should discountenance such fraud, as there is no other Ukwa la Ngwa Council of Elders’ except the one registered and led by Max Nduaguibe.”