By Tony Edike

ENUGU – THE South East Zonal Working Committee, ZWC, of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, dismissed as untrue reports that President Goodluck Jonathan removed the Interior Minister,  Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho, on account of his anti-party activities, saying the leadership of the party never requested for his removal from office.

Iheanacho was removed as Minister of Interior on Monday through a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ima Niboro, which directed him to hand over to the Minister of Labour, Mr. Emeka Wogu, who will in addition to his present portfolio, oversee the Interior Ministry.

Although Niboro did not say why the president sanctioned the former Interior Minister, there were speculations in the media that his removal might be connected with the recent alarm raised by the PDP leadership in the South East over his activities in Imo State during the April 9 National Assembly elections.

But in a press statement signed by the Zonal Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr. Ali Odefa, the party said the removal of the former Minister had nothing to do with the alarm it raised over his alleged anti-party activities reported by Imo State chapter of the party.

The statement read:  “The ZWC wishes to categorically state that at no time did we make such request. Rather, the ZWC received reports of anti- party activities against the Honourable minister and immediately summoned him to appear before the working committee to answer to the allegation.”