By Onyekachi Eze
The Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Kennedy Ibeh has attracted the ire of Imolites over some uncomplimentary remarks he made against the Labour Party Presidential flag bearer, Mr Peter Obi.
The Speaker had over the weekend in Lagos State discredited Obi’s candidature for 2023 elections.
In a meeting with the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Speaker Ibeh who was speaking before dignitaries said, “My Governor sent me here to assure you that Imo State is for you regardless of all the things we see in the social media that has to do with the South East”.
Ibeh continued by assuring Tinubu, “We want to say that Peter Obi is on his own as the State is for APC. If we are obedient, we are obedient to APC and not to him”.
Against this backdrop, the Obowo Lawmaker has been receiving backlashes by Imolites at home and other part of the country and in diaspora who do not only described such utterance by the Speaker as a sell-out, but undeserving of one in such a highly placed position.
Trumpeta Newspaper monitoring activities on the social media platforms learnt that Ibeh’s speech came shortly after his ascendancy to the position of Secretary of APC Speaker’s Forum.
Certain persons who frowned on the denial of Peter Obi by an Igbo son opined that in a State where virtually every Dick and Harry are drumming support for Igbo Presidency through the former two time Anambra State Governor (Peter Obi), the number three citizen of Imo State had the moral justification to campaign for a Yoruba.
One of the commentators said, “Imagine, Anambra and Imo State are sisters. The two States share common boundaries and similarities, yet they stab each other without recourse. This is unbelievable”.
Another set of group that have lampooned the Imo Speaker is the Imo Graduates Professional.
In a letter signed by Solution Uche Nwosu onbehalf of the group, it states,
“It is no longer news that the enemies of the unemployed cum helpless youths and New Nigeria are working timelessly to frustrate the Divine movement of obedient family Worldwide!
“With due respect Mr Speaker sir, we would have ignored your rant and I quote “Peter Obi is on his own, that Tinubu should forget the noise on Facebook and that Imo is APC”.
“You should be hiding your face in shame that the only achievement you can boast since assumption of office is Bet Naija shop Empowerment in your Constituency.
“How on Earth do you expect the great Imolites to support an incapacitated Tinubu who is an agent of darkness leaving Mr light (Peter Obi) who is tested and trusted and has wowed to take Nigeria from Consumption to Production State!
“Shame to any human who is against the rising acceptance and candidacy of Mr Okwute! Be assured that Imo people and Nigerians will use their PVCs in 2023 to flush the likes of Mr Ibe and his cohorts out of the system”.
However, while giving a hint of what happened, the media aide to the Speaker, Mr Ifeanyi Onyekachi in a release explained that as an APC card carrying member, the Speaker was never expected to campaign against his political party APC, or betray his Presidential candidate.
He asked, “Is it unthinkable that Rt Hon. Bar. Kennedy Ibeh, a serving Speaker of a State Assembly and Chieftain of APC will stand before Nigerians and campaign for Peter Obi and his Labour Party?”
