Ezennia Nonso Chukwudebe, a media representative for Senator Stella Oduah of Anambra North, has denied allegations of a conspiracy to obstruct the ongoing electoral tribunal proceedings.
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The refusal followed a report by the Today’s Anti-Corruption Network (TACN) organization.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed claims of a N7.9 billion fraud against Senator Oduah, and TACN had urged President Bola Tinubu to step in and stop what they alleged was a premeditated attempt to scuttle her trial.
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Director of Media and Publicity for Oduah, Chukwudebe, responded by dismissing the report, saying the organization had shown a complete lack of knowledge of legal procedures and the obvious division of powers within the administration.
In a statement, Chukwudebe encouraged President Tinubu to ignore the petition, noting that it was an effort to damage his character by making unfounded claims.
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The statement said, “Political opponents of the Distinguished Senator Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah OON, masquerading under a self-styled group named “Today’s Anti-Corruption Network, TACN,” have been posting a series of sponsored diatribes on various social media platforms. I have contacted some of the media outlets involved in this smear campaign to request the chance to respond. No one ever approached us for our perspective on this, so I hope they address this bad journalism as a professional would.
“An informed review of the petition created by these charlatans immediately reveals not only a desperate need to divert the public’s attention away from the litigation that has arisen as a result of the recently concluded general elections, but also a complete lack of understanding of court procedures and the obvious distinction between the various branches of government.
It is obvious that their petition only depicts Mr. President as a despot and autocrat who meddles in matters outside the scope of his office, so the introspective may want to consider asking whether His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu now combines his executive office with that of the Chief Justice of the Federation.
“To eliminate any ambiguity, the constitution of our nation clearly distinguishes between the various branches of government. Unfortunately, the petitioners made a Freudian blunder by assuming that our president shares their view of being meddlesome in their eagerness to do this yeoman’s task.
Since it is well known that no one is spared or sacrosanct whenever they set out to unleash such dreadful behavior, it is regrettable that those behind the petition have not yet weaned themselves from their blackmailing tactics. The petition’s tone tantamount to blackmail on the person and integrity of Mr. President.
“Once more, we are unable to comprehend or place their attacks on the courts. We can only speculate that believing that the judiciary is at the whim of the president requires a very uneducated and illiterate attitude.
“As you well know, the judiciary continues to be every Nigerian’s last and best hope, and it is designed to provide justice, equality, and equity.
“Therefore, it is, to put it bluntly, the height of insensitivity and callousness for her political opponents, who should rather expend the energy they currently dissipate to confronting the issues before the tribunal, to be busy sponsoring such faceless groups whose stock in trade is casting unwarranted and unfortunate aspersions on this great institution.
“The general public is advised to see this recent media attack for what it really is: a repeated penchant for attacking a superb legislator in the failed hopes that it would elicit public opprobrium and divert her from the real issues at hand,” the statement continued.