By Vincent Ujumadu

Awka — THE rift between  Governor Willie Obiano and his predecessor, Mr. Peter Obi, which reared its head before the new administration in Anambra State came into being on March 17, 2014, has degenerated into a media war, with the two camps accusing each other of tarnishing their images.

The latest verbal war came on the heels of a protest by some youths in the state over the outcome of the March 28, 2015 National Assembly election in which the youths accused the former governor of having a hand in the alleged rigging of the election in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state.

PETER OBI

Shortly after the protests in Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi on Wednesday, the Media Assistant to Obi, Mr. Val Obienyem, regretted what he called the callous association of Obi’s name with rigging by the state government.

According to Obienyem, the government of Anambra State released N250 million for the mobiliation of the youths and other logistics for the protests.

Reacting to Obienyem’s allegations, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Obiano on Media, Mr. James Eze, said it was horrifying that what had been a silent, proxy war launched by the shadowy agents of former Governor Obi on the social media against Governor Obiano, had finally taken a bold physical shape, with Obi’s media aide directly accusing the governor of instigating “crisis in the state he presides over as the chief security officer.”

In the statement, entitled, ‘Setting the records straight,’ Eze said: “We are surprised that anyone in his right mind would drag the name of Anambra governor into a demonstration staged by aggrieved Igbo youths to register their complaints over the handling of the March 28, 2015 National Assembly election in the state.