…Says allegation laughable

By Ikechukwu Odu

The Labour Party, LP, candidate for the Enugu North Senatorial District of Enugu State for the 2023 general elections, Ernest Ike Ugwu, on Wednesday, said he never received money from Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State to facilitate his political ambition to represent his people at the National Assembly.

Ike Ugwu also described the allegation that the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, is sponsoring his candidacy to pave way for Governor Ugwuanyi’s senatorial bid in 2023 as “funny and laughable,” adding that such thought exists only in the imagination of mischief makers.

These were contained in a statement made available to Vanguard by the Ernest Ike Ugwu Campaign Organisation wherein he equally restated that he is the authentic candidate of LP for Enugu North Senatorial District in the 2023 election, adding that those contesting it were fair-weather politicians who want to reap where they did not sow.

He equally alleged that he brought most of the stakeholders including the gubernatorial candidate, Chijioke Edoga, into LP, adding that no amount of campaign of calumny would dispute the fact that he is the authentic candidate of the party.

The statement reads “The attention of the Ernest Ike Ugwu Campaign Organization has been called to the many laughable claims on various media including an article titled; “Ugwuanyi Squanders Enugu State Funds on Senate Bid,” wherein a ghost writer alleged that Ernest Ike Ugwu, the party-elected and legitimate candidate of the Labor Party for the Enugu North Senatorial District is being funded by Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to prevent one other impostor from competing with the governor. Nothing is possibly more absurd. Ernest Ike Ugwu has been very busy moving from one media house to another educating the good people of Enugu North on the programs he would be implementing when he gets to the Senate and would have loved to ignore these malicious and mendacious pieces of falsehood being shamelessly peddled by blackmailers and desperate elements but it has become imperative to put out a brief remark for the benefit of the good people of Enugu North.

“The ghost writer for their latest outing alleged that Ike Ugwu got the sum of N200 million from the governor to stay in the race. The ghost writer needs, obviously, further training on how to use hyperbole. When did the amount drop to N200 million? The last figure they bandied about ran into billions of naira. We hope the ghost writer would not get into trouble with their paymasters for daring to slash down the figure of their colorful imagination. He needs to be abreast with the most recent information so as not to sing from a different hymn sheet with his masters.

“The ghostwriter, whose services were paid for by people who are bent on causing distractions for Ernest Ike Ugwu, failed to mention how Gov. Ugwuanyi even before he became Governor of Enugu State, had the foresight of a Peter Obi’s presidency in 2023 and urged Ernest Ike Ugwu to come close to Peter Obi back in 2011. It is on record that as Governor, Peter Obi engaged the services of Afriwice Global Limited, a company owned by Ernest Ike Ugwu, as a contractor in Anambra State. This contract engendered the working relationship both men have enjoyed for more than a decade, which culminated in Peter Obi coming to Enugu on 1st of March 2022 for the NAPPS Enugu State Education Summit, on the invitation of Ernest Ike Ugwu, who is the NAPPS Chairman Enugu State Chapter. Go and verify.
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“This relationship is further evidenced by the presence of Ernest Ike Ugwu in Asaba on the day Peter Obi was elected as the flag bearer of the great Labour Party during the party’s presidential primary election. Also, during the dinner organized for state chairmen and secretaries of the party with the presidential candidate, it was Peter Obi himself who brought Ernest Ike Ugwu into the dinner hall on the strength of their personal relationship, even though Ike Ugwu was not a state party chairman or secretary. Same happened during the convention which was for delegates alone. It is verifiable that Ernest Ike Ugwu conveyed all the Labour Party delegates from Enugu State to Asaba for the convention. Peter brought in Ernest Ike Ugwu to sit beside him. Governor Ugwuanyi would have to be clairvoyant to know that all these things would happen beforehand to be able to sponsor Ernest Ike Ugwu to come close to His excellency Peter Obi before a decade ago.

“The authors of these smear campaigns against the indefatigable Ernest Ike Ugwu would not stop at anything to attempt to paint him black, including his family. A case in point is the lies that have been spewed against his wife: that she was sponsored by the governor to attend pilgrimage in the Holy Land. This pilgrimage was supposed to have taken place last year. Ernest Ike Ugwu, as Chairman of NAPPS Enugu State Chapter was given a slot to go for the pilgrimage. He however gave the opportunity to his wife to attend the pilgrimage. The funny thing is that she was denied this ticket to pilgrimage because of her husband’s affiliation to the upsurging Labour Party. But the naysayers would not present these fine details to the public. Looking back six months ago, which Labour Party stalwart contesting any elective post was a member of the party back then? Even the Labour Party’s gubernatorial flag bearer, Barr. Chijioke Edeoga was a full-time member of the PDP and Honourable Commissioner as at then. So, why all these slander against the person of Ernest Ike Ugwu for being a PDP member as at then. But wait, was he even a card-carrying member of the PDP?

“It will also be of importance to make it known to the public that most of the notable candidates in Labour Party today were brought in by Ernest Ike Ugwu such as Chidi Obetta, Emeka Mama, Stainless Nwodo and most importantly, Barr. Chijioke Edoga the gubernatorial candidate of Labour Party in Enugu State. Ernest Ike Ugwu visited and begged most of the notable politicians in Igbo Eze South Local Government Area to come and pick the Labor Party Senatorial ticket for Enugu North Senatorial District including the renowned Economist, Prof. Osita Ogbu and Barr. Okey Ezea aka Ideke, an invitation most of them declined, saying that Labour Party is relatively unknown and dead-on arrival. If these guys are honest, they will admit this much to be true. So, how can a man who spent his time and personal resources to build a party in Enugu State turn around to collect money in order to sabotage his own efforts?

“It is also important to point out to all, especially those contesting that Okey Ezea that is the ticket holder for Enugu North Senatorial District of Enugu state that had it not been for the efforts of Ike Ugwu who contested and won the party’s Senatorial ticket, there won’t be any senatorial candidate for Labour party in this coming election for Enugu North, just like there is no one contesting on the platform of YPP and other parties who missed the window.

“The truth remains that Ernest Ike Ugwu is the duly elected and legitimate candidate of the Labour Party for the Enugu North Senate election. And, no amount of campaign of calumny and calculated emotional blackmail and gaslighting can change this fact. When Ike Ugwu was running around to set up structures for the Labor Party in Enugu State, all the seasonal and visiting politicians were nowhere to be found. These fair-weather politicians are back to reap where they did not sow and they are going about it by demonizing and blackmailing those who helped lay the current foundation of the Labor Party in Enugu State. You can now judge for yourself who is actually acting for the ruling party as agents of destabilization.

“The allegation that the PDP is involved in Ike Ugwu’s bid is both funny and unfortunate. Most recently, the Enugu State Government announced the closure of unapproved private schools in a bid to destabilize the focused young man in his current bid of educating the good people of Enugu North Senatorial District on his vision of bringing them sustainable development. In all, Ernest Ike Ugwu has done justice to these malicious and senseless pieces of rumor in various media outings and platforms.

“Ernest Ike Ugwu is a successful business man and tech entrepreneur before joining partisan politics. He still sits in leadership positions on the boards of blue-chip companies. If those accusing him of collecting money from anybody are not being outright mischievous, then they need to make further investigation about the visionary and energetic young man called Ernest Ike Ugwu.

“Ernest Ike Ugwu remains undeterred and above all, passionate about changing the narrative of public service in Enugu North Senatorial District in particular and, Enugu state and Nigeria in general. Shared ideals and philosophies are responsible for his long-running and harmonious relationship with His Excellency Peter Obi. Ernest will remain resolute and forthright in the defense of these ideals: the ideals of accountable, idea-driven and result-oriented leadership. It is important to remind his detractors that their efforts to deter him shall continue to fail.”