TheCable

Uche Secondus, national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has asked the federal government to stop character assassination in the media”.

In a statement on Tuesday, the opposition leader said he is aware of a grand design by the federal government to tarnish his image.

He alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) government is desperate to frame him up with some “blatant fabrications” in order to distract him from carrying out his responsibility of rebuilding the PDP.

Secondus said ordinarily, he would not want to join issues with the government on a matter already in court but that the administration has great “contempt for the court and the rule of law”, and has instead chosen to use blackmail and media persecution to defame and discredit their enemies.

The statement read: “The federal government and its agencies, in their desperation to forge documents and defame him, forgot to reconcile their lies,” read a statement issued on Secondus’ behalf by Ike Abonyi, his spokesman.

” Lai Mohammad, minister of information and culture, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) couldn’t agree on the date of the purported money collection and whether it was collected by Secondus or by a faceless fictional Chukwura that has no surname.

“While they may have embarked on a wide search since 2015 for the surname of the so-called aide of the national chairman, Mohammad claimed in his press conference on March 29, 2018, that Secondus collected the money on February 19, 2015.

“EFCC on their part on April 16, 2018, eighteen days after said the money was collected on February 9, 2015, and in another version still quoting the same EFCC claimed February 2, 2015.”

Abonyi said no blackmail and intimidation lined up against the opposition by the federal government would be enough to stop Secondus from carrying out the reform of his party.

He said the EFCC had turned itself into a pawn in the hand of APC administration to witch hunt and harass perceived enemies of government just to impress and keep job.

Secondus challenged the government and any agency that have anything against him to bring such evidence to the court.

He challenged the government to come out with the vouchers with which he was said to have signed, adding that such signature would also be subjected to forensic analysis.

“I never collected any money from anywhere. I didn’t ask anyone to collect money for me as well and I didn’t sign any voucher to collect any money. It is pure blackmail which will never work,” he said.