By Clifford Ndujihe

Elder statesman, Professor Ben Nwabueze(SAN), has distanced himself from an online report quoting him as saying that Mr. Peter Obi received bribe from Dr. Godwin Maduka and would betray Senator Uche Ekwunife in the 2021 governorship election in Anambra State.

Maduka and Ekwunife are governorship aspirants on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The online report said Nwabueze had, in a telephone interview, said that Obi, immediate past Anambra State governor, would betray Ekwunife after receiving bribe of $1 million from Dr. Godwin Maduka for the PDP ticket.

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Dismissing the report as fake, Nwabueze, in a statement, on Tuesday, said: “I have had no interaction or dealing, physical or otherwise, with anyone by name Dr Godwin Maduka. Nor can I recall the name.

”As is well known, except as concerns my children, my telephone contact is through my Secretary/Personal Assistant, Mr. Damian Obiefule. It is through him that I can be reached by telephone.

“I do not grant telephone interviews to correspondents, and no correspondent has been granted a telephone interview with me. I need, perhaps, to explain that the position just stated is the product, not of choice or of my advanced age (I am 89 going to 90) but of my health condition, which unfortunately imposes restrictions on my movement and activities, including telephone calls.

”Lastly, I have had no discussion with anyone concerning Dr Godwin Maduka’s ambition or intention to contest the Anambra State governorship election on the platform of PDP.

“And I have not accused Peter Obi of collecting a bribe from Dr Godwin Maduka or from anyone else to support Dr Godwin Maduka’s candidature.

“I am hearing for the first time of Iyom Uche Ekwunife’s interest to contest the Anambra State governorship election.”

Vanguard