.

By Festus Ahon, ASABA

DELTA Government, Tuesday, said Prof Pat Utomi, a chieftain of the Labour Party lied, insisting it did not deny the party venue for its presidential campaign in the state.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, who gave the clarification at a news conference in Asaba said Utomi, a Professor of many years, should not resort to telling lies and blackmail to curry sympathy for his party.

He said that there was no record that Labour Party wrote to the state government for a venue for campaign and was denied, and challenged it to present the letter and the response from the State, denying them the use of a venue.

Aniagwu said,”the Labour Party creates an impression that it is being oppressed across the length and breadth of this country in order to attract sympathy.

“The Labour Party did not write to us as a government that it was going to have a rally in Delta. Somebody as highly placed as Prof. Pat Utomi went to town to allege that they have been prevented from campaigning in Delta.

“I challenge them to show any application letter sent to the Secretary to the State Government and let them also show the reply from the SSG.

“Somebody representing Prof. Utomi called me on Sunday morning ahead of their rally on Monday morning and I asked what were the issues?

“He said he would be glad if I could give them the Arcade for their campaign. And, I said, you are having a campaign on Monday and you are making a phone call to demand for a venue on Sunday?”

The commissioner, who was flanked by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, said that the state government granted permission to the party for the rally and waived payment for the venue to demonstrate its democratic credentials.

“We asked the Labour Party not to pay for the venue and that we would take the responsibility for even the cleaning of the place after the event.

“In spite of doing that, Prof. Pat Utomi, wanting to tell a lie, went to the media stations and the social media and alleged that we have prevented them from using the public venue.”

Mr Olisa Ifeajika who also spoke in the same said: “If the State Government is not allowing other parties access to venues, how come APC, the main opposition in this State used our stadium in Warri without hindrance and without restrictions.

“Since after that flag off, their candidates have been going around Delta campaigning unrestrained in our schools and everywhere, and Utomi was somewhere telling lies.

“The truth is that Utomi is an alien to Delta politics and for him to be lying shows that he doesn’t come home and doesn’t know what is happening in Delta.

“Everyone in Delta and Nigeria knows the type of man Senator Ifeanyi Okowa is. His personage is infectious; everybody knows that his other name is humility, and he is very tolerant.

“Democracy is large in Delta, everybody is allowed a space. So, it was obvious that Utomi meant to lie to Nigerians, and it’s quite unfortunate. He should be told to come home and see what is happening at home, and see how democracy thrives here.

“Utomi should stop lying, he is too big to lie. But if he continues to live in Lagos, he should leave politics because he is not a politician.

“In his Ibusa community, he does not know his Polling Unit, let alone his Ward or members of his party there. He is so alien to his people and Delta that when he came to run for governorship under APC in 2019, he couldn’t trace his unit and ward and didn’t even know the delegates.

“The worst was that he, as aspirant, didn’t know the time and venue of his party’s primary election. He was in the vicinity but couldn’t locate the place, and didn’t participate. That’s the type of politician Prof. Utomi is.

“He should leave politics for politicians and remain the television analyst he is in Lagos. He should also shun blackmail and lie. It doesn’t tell well of him.”