A sitting senator on the Peoples’ Democratic Party platform, Uche Ekwunife, has denied endorsing Pedro Obithe Labor Party’s presidential candidate for the February 25 election.
Ms Ekwunife, who currently represents the Anambra Central Senate District, said an online blog she did not mention had been circulating an article supporting Mr Obi for president.
Both Ms Ekwunife and Mr Obi are from Anambra State and had enjoyed strong political relationships in the past until the former defected from the PDP to Labor in 2022 to pursue his presidential ambition.
He campaigned for Mr. Obi, a former two-term governor of Anambra State when he was running for the PDP vice-presidency in the 2019 election that he and then-presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar lost to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari .
Ms Ekwunifie, a former member of the House of Representatives, is seeking re-election as Senator for Anambra Central on the PDP ticket.
I did not support Obi – Ekwunife
In a statement she personally signed and made available to reporters on Saturday, Ms Ekwunife denied endorsement, saying it did not emanate from her.
He also said that the online blog attributed statements that can be translated as adopting Obi as its candidate for the elections.
“I want to state categorically that those statements never emanated from me or my campaign council,” he said.
Although he said that Mr. Obi is his leader and older brother from Anambra Central whom he respects and holds in high esteem, he noted, however, that their political aspirations have become divergent, hence “the need for me to focus in introducing our presidential candidate, His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, and the Vice-Presidential Candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, who are from the PDP.”
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Ms. Ekwunife said that she can never betray Mr. Okowa for any reason, whom she described as her bosom friend who has supported all her aspirations since time immemorial.
He reaffirmed his commitment to the PDP, saying he cannot work against the party or any of its candidates running on the party’s platform in the 2023 elections.
Ms. Ekwunife, however, said that “Mr. Obi is certainly a force to be reckoned with in the February 25 election. But he will not be able to get the required differential that will ensure victory for him unlike his Excellency Atiku Abubakar who has what it takes to win the election with a high margin.”
He reiterated his wholehearted support for Atiku’s ambition, urging the people of Anambra Central and Nigerians to take part in the project, rescue Nigeria and set the country on the path to greatness.
