Ihedioha Disowns Trending Voice Note, Seeks Probe

The immediate past Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, on Sunday urged security operatives to investigate those impersonating him and forging his signature.

In a statement made available to journalists, Ihedioha said a voice note circulating online where he was allegedly issuing threats and a letter to the Minister of Justice, urging him not to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, were “criminally” forged to put him at daggers drawn with the people.

Ihedioha said he had kept silent since January 2020 when the Supreme Court removed him from office despite provocations from the state government.

The statement read, “Since January 14, 2020, when the Supreme Court of Nigeria supplanted the electoral will of the good people of Imo State by removing me from office, I have maintained a studious silence, refusing to join issues with those who orchestrated the judicial heist despite all the provocations.

“I consciously yielded to the maxim that silence is golden, so as not to inflame passion in our dear state. But there comes a time when silence is no longer golden. That time is now. It appears that some people are not satisfied with their stolen mandate.

“They want to drag me out by an orchestrated campaign of lies. And those carrying out this campaign of calumny against my person are doing so at the behest of the same man who was imposed on Imo State. But I understand their dilemma.

“Having succeeded in their evil plot of removing me from office, they realised that the bigger battle was winning the hearts and minds of the people. And that is proving difficult. That they have failed to endear themselves to the good people of Imo State in the last 34 months is why they are now desperate.

“They are also becoming dangerous. They are so dangerous that they are now working with political renegades across party lines.

“While in office, Emeka Ihedioha was their nightmare. But they have also realised to their utmost chagrin that even out of office, I have remained a bigger nemesis hence the unceasing campaign of calumny with the sole purpose of damaging my reputation and putting a wedge between me and Imolites. In doing this, there are no off-limits.

“They have forged documents, concocted voice messages, perjured and maximised the social media in throwing mud to see if anyone sticks. They use issues that are very dear to our people in this nefarious project.”