Former Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has strongly denied making any statement accusing his successor, Governor Alex Otti, of claiming credit for projects initiated under his administration.
The rebuttal, contained in a statement signed by his media aide, Sir Onyebuchi Ememanka made available to ABN TV, described viral social media reports with headlines such as “Alex Otti is Stealing My Projects to Take My Glory – Ikpeazu” as false, misleading, and maliciously crafted to stir confusion and gain cheap online traffic.
Ememanka dismissed the publications as the handiwork of “merchants of evil and lazy bloggers,” stressing that Dr. Ikpeazu has not issued any statement, directly or indirectly, regarding the current administration in Abia State since leaving office.
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“Dr. Ikpeazu has since moved on to matters of personal interest and has maintained a dignified silence,” the statement read. “The only occasions he has authorized publications were to clarify officially raised matters by the current government — and even that has not occurred in a long while.”
The former Governor warned that legal actions are being initiated against individuals and blog operators responsible for the fabricated stories. He also cautioned social media users against sharing unverified information, reminding the public that both the creation and dissemination of falsehoods are punishable under the law.
Efforts are reportedly underway in collaboration with security agencies to uncover those behind the fake news.
“Discerning people who want to verify if any statement came from Dr. Ikpeazu know the proper channels. Those enabling falsehood on their platforms should be ready to face the consequences,” the statement concluded.
