A Labour Party member of the House of Representatives, Chief Amobi Ogah, has disowned comments attributed to him, suggesting that the party's presidential candidate in the last general elections, Peter Obi, should concede defeat to President Bola Tinubu.
The member, representing the Isuikwuato-Umunneochi federal constituency of Abia State, made the clarifications following a widespread claim that he asked Obi to withdraw his petition against the President at the Election Petition Tribunal Court (PEPC).
Ogah, in a rebuttal statement issued on Thursday, June 22, 2023, accused some blackmailers of inventing and propagating the falsehood in order to pitch him against his party and teeming supporters.
The lawmaker, therefore, urged members of the public, especially the Labour Party faithful, to disregard any social media reports linking him to such remarks.
He insisted that his comment, which he made at a recent Thanksgiving church service, has been deliberately quoted out of context by those he described as mischief makers.
The statement partly read, ”My attention has been drawn to the misleading publications in some media houses and blogs misquoting me as having admonished Peter Obi and the Labour party to accept defeat as the will of God.
“Given this unwholesome publication, I wish to make it abundantly clear to the public that what I said was that those candidates like APC -Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha and others who contested election with me in my federal constituency should accept defeat because my election victory is the will of God. I said that if they didn’t win today, they could win tomorrow.
”I said that the time of election had come and gone. Now it’s time for good governance and the delivery of democratic dividends to the people.
”I never mentioned Peter Obi but mischief makers are twisting my statement. How can I be against Peter Obi the presidential candidate of the party that gave me its platform?”
Dismissing the reports as fake news, Rep Ogah urged his constituents and members of the public to take with a pinch of salt any misleading rhetorics on the matter.