The media aides to the Senators representing Abia South and Abia Central in the Senate, Enyinnaya Abaribe and Austin Akobundu, have said that their principals were not aware or involved in the African Democratic Congress, ADC, coalition meeting held in Umuahia on Saturday last week.
The media aides, Uchenna Awom and Jude Ndukwe, also said that the two Senators did sign any communique endorsing Iyke Nwoke as the Interim Chairman of ADC in Abia State, among other things.
The Spokesperson of Senator Austin Akobundu media team, Jude Ndukwe in response said:
“The story is not only untrue but also the manipulative machinations of desperate elements to hoodwink and mislead unsuspecting members of the public.
“There is no way Senator Austin Akobundu, a PDP Senator, would have involved himself in the activities of another party to the extent of endorsing a Chairman for it.”
Also responding to messages from DAILY POST, the media aide to Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Uchenna Awom disowned the connection between his principal and the said communique.
“It is not true”, Awom simply responded to DAILY POST questions.
However, a communique distributed to journalists on Saturday by the Iyke Nwoke-led ADC faction listed the names of some prominent Abia politicians as those who authorized the communique from the ADC coalition.
The names that appeared on the list included: Bishop Sunday Onuoha, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator Austin Akobundu, Deacon Iyke Nwoke, Okey Ezeala, Nnenna Ukeje, P.C Udenwa, Rev Marty Orji and Chimezie Ubadire.
In the communique also, politicians were cautioned against claiming to be members of the ADC coalition even when they are still staying in their old political parties.
Meanwhile, another faction of the ADC led by Don Norman Obinna, also held its own meeting and press conference on the same Saturday in Umuahia, during which the names of ADC local government chairpersons were announced.