Akwa Ibom state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the party and its Leader Governor Umo Eno were not celebrating the purported certificate scandal against President Bola Tinubu as widely speculated in the social media.
The party described such rumours as fake news and reiterated that Governor Eno and PDP in the state can not join in such fake speculation by rumour mongers.
Our Correspondent gathered that the social media was awash with fake news of Umo and PDP celebrating with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over the certificate scandal levelled against President Bola Tinubu in court in the United States.
In a press statement signed by PDP Publicity Secretary in Akwa Ibom Mr Boronno Bassey and made available to newsmen in Uyo on Wednesday, the party said it has never indulged in such celebration.
The PDP stated that the matter of certificate scandal against President Tinubu is before the court in the United States adding that they have no power to comment on the case now pending in court.
The statement reads in. parts “The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Akwa Ibom State was drawn earlier today, to an obviously fake news item being circulated on social media alleging that our Party and His Excellency, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State and Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Pastor Umo Eno was secretly celebrating Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s efforts in exposing President Tinubu’s alleged fake certificate.
“The matter which is the subject of the fake news is in court and therefore Subjudice. By that very fact, neither the Governor nor the Peoples Democratic Party at the state level is competent to comment on it.
“The Governor, His Excellency, Pastor Umo Eno as a law-abiding citizen, who believes in the supremacy of the law, has tremendous respect for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Alhaji Bola Tinubu, the PDP whose platform Pastor Umo Eno was elected as Governor, and the Presidential candidate of the Party, His Excellency Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Read also: Eno appoints former APC chieftain, 3 others as Political Advisers
“The Governor of Akwa Ibom State is not a party on record in the suit referred to in this risible rumour and therefore can only await the judgement of the court, and he will join in the usual respectful and deferential chorus of “As the court pleases!!”.
The party therefore urged all Nigerians to ignore the I’ll intention by the rumour mongers and their attempt to drag the Governor of Akwa Ibom State and the State Chapter of our great party into a matter that is undergoing the processes of law.
In a related development, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Umo Eno Mr Ekerete Udoh has described the fake media report as malicious propaganda to smear the good relationship between Umo Eno and President Bola Tinubu.
In another statement made available to Journalists in Uyo, Udoh the stakeholders meeting of PDP never discussed the alleged certificate scandal of President Tinubu and warned the rumour peddlers to desist from such act.
“We wish to state categorically that the spurious report alleged to have emanated from the PDP Stakeholders’ meeting that took place yesterday, is false, malicious and intentionally concocted to satisfy the writer’s sponsors, who are shocked by the warm relationship that exists between the father of our Nation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and Pastor Umo Eno, Governor of Akwa Ibom State.
“At no time, at the PDP Stakeholders’ meeting that took place yesterday, was any such issue as maliciously reported by the faceless reporter, ever tabled or discussed. We challenge the writer to provide recorded evidence of such discussions,” he said.
