Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Governor Hope Uzodinma has warned the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against inciting citizens of the state with their series of protest, maintaining that, it is capable of “fanning irredentist sentiments against the legitimate government of Imo state.”
The warning was contained in a press statement he issued through the Director, Media and Strategy, of his campaign organisation, Mbadiwe Emelumba.
According to the governor, the opposition party is hell bent on deceiving the public that their candidate, Emeka Ihedioha, won the governorship election of March 2019 ,when in deed he never won.
“Because they know that they stole Governor Hope Uzodinma’s mandate, which has now been recovered, yet they keep deceiving and inciting the public over the supreme court judgement which recovered the APC mandate”, the governor said.
Uzodinma also claimed that PDP has been taking advantage of the ignorant people he alleged were imported from neighbouring states of Abia and Anambra.
“They organized another wishy washy protest within the outskirts of Owerri on Thursday but I can tell you that most of the few hundreds of protesters that walked the outskirts of Owerri metropolis in that protest are not from Imo state. I can authoritatively tell you that they were hired from neighbouring states of Abia and Anambra.
“The truth is that Imo people are very happy with the governance of Senator Hope Uzodinma ,the executive governor of Imo state. When the governor visited relief market in Owerri on Monday, the rousing ovation that greeted his arrival by the traders clearly underscore this fact.
“The same scenario repeated itself at the state government secretariat on Wednesday when the governor went to inspect the secretariat. The workers were ecstatic in their rousing welcome. Their loud shouts of “Onwa , Onwa” made such great scene that motorists plying the Owerri Port Harcourt highway had to stop to know what was going on.
“So if traders, market women and men, workers, as well as civil servants are happy with the governor what is left of the Imo population. Believe me those people protesting are not Imo people. At any rate, what are they protesting against. Ask the protesters and they will tell you that they don’t even know. They were hired to do the bidding of PDP. The Imo election petition matter is dead and buried. The PDP should stop hiring foreigners to incite the public and fan irredentist sentiments to create a false impression about the situation in Imo state”.