A journalist of long standing, Mr. Ike Abonyi, has described as untrue claims made by human rights crusader, Deji Adeyanju, on an investment made by the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, with Anambra State money.
Adeyanju had in a series of tweets on Monday claimed that Obi told him that he invested billions of Anambra State money into his family business and was still trying to justify it.
Stressing that Obi is not a saint as people believed stated that the former Anambra governor’s decision to invest the state money into his family business is the height of corruption and abuse of office.
However, he said Obi is the best candidate among those who have declared, especially with his cutting of cost theory but was not a saint.
Adeyanju tweeted, “The real reason I stopped supporting Peter Obi was after I met him for a 3hrs meeting at his instance of course & he told me he invested billions of Anambra State funds into his family business. And the man was even trying to justify it. So many other things he said. SMH!
“I agree that Peter Obi is the best candidate among those who have declared, especially with his cutting of cost theory, but he’s no saint. He’s as corrupt as the others. Investing Anambra money into his family business is the height of corruption and abuse of office.”
But the journalist on Tuesday faulted Adeyanju. He said he cannot keep mum and allow untruths to thrive.
In a statement debunking what he called falsehood, he said: ” my friend Deji Adeyanju just tweeted that why he stopped supporting the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr Peter Obi was when he told him that he invested Anambra state money in his family business.
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“I was at the meeting Deji had with Obi and was there all through and left with him after about three hours frank discussion of Obi telling his life story in and out of government none of which is new as he had said similar thing repeatedly in the public. I was shocked to my marrow reading from Deji what I did not hear.
“In my shock today July 26, 2022 after reading the post I wrote this to him -‘Deji, Did you and Obi meet again or the one I was present. Haba! Deji, am shocked, you are free to support whoever without all these funny blackmails. You didn’t even factor my friendship with you’
“On July 9, 2022 after similar negative post on Obi that he can accept appointment from the APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, I had again written to Deji….’My brother, good morning, when did it get to this point. Am still in shock. Obi is not looking for a job a Tinubu will be be offering. As my friend even if you no longer believe in Obi project, I encourage you to stay on issues that will enhance your own reputation.
“Deji has not responded to any of my posts to him and has not picked my calls. I had wanted us to resolve it as friends without my coming public by urging him to withdraw his posts because they are not based on facts.
“As a journalist of long standing and as a Christian I don’t need to be an Obicentric person to resolve issues that border on facts and falsity. No money was offered during or after the meeting and there was no promise of any to best of knowledge.
“Deji is on record severally to have declared Obi to be the best candidate and had publicly encouraged Obi to leave PDP to seek his ambition on another platform. He is also free to do a U turn in supporting him depending on what appeals to him, but should not base that on what is not true.”
