The All Progressives Congress Media Network in Akwa Ibom State has debunked a media report by the Peoples Democratic Party linking the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to a smear campaign to rubbish ex-Governor Udom Emmanuel over his invitation by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission.

The recent invitation extended to Udom by the anti-graft agency has sparked debate within the PDP. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, stated that the Senate President was behind the campaign.

“Our party is aware of a well-oiled scheme reportedly engineered by the Senate President to compromise a section of the media to spread false allegations against Udom Emmanuel.

“The latest attempt is to falsely portray Udom Emmanuel as being indicted by the EFCC while bandying spurious and fictitious figures to mislead the public,” Ologunagba has stated.

But the group, in a statement by its Director General, Iniobong John, in Uyo on Saturday, urged the PDP to leave Akpabio out of the matter, emphasising that the Senate president was too preoccupied with matters of national importance and, therefore, had no interest in such trivial matters.

John argued that the primary mandate of EFCC is to investigate and prosecute economic and financial crimes in the country, stating that reports regarding Mr. Emmanuel’s invitation cannot be attributed to a smear campaign orchestrated by Senator Akpabio or any other individual.

“The APC Media Network has been compelled to address the defamatory allegations made by the factional National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, Debo Ologunagba, against the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

“We note that the factional National Publicity Secretary of the PDP failed to deny the fact that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission indeed invited former Governor Udom Emmanuel. Mr. Emmanuel himself has acknowledged honoring the EFCC’s invitation, albeit without clarifying the purpose behind it.

“The primary mandate of the EFCC is to investigate and prosecute economic and financial crimes in the country. Therefore, the reports regarding Mr. Emmanuel’s invitation by the EFCC cannot be attributed to a smear campaign orchestrated by Senator Akpabio or any other individual.



https://punchng.com/apc-pdp-clash-over-akpabios-alleged-role-in-ex-gov-emmanuels-invitation-by-efcc/