By Daniel Kanu
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State, Hon Emeka Ihedioha, on Monday flayed a report carried in the Daily Sun newspaper for its “contradictions” and “inaccuracies.”
The newspaper ran a story captioned, “Imo Guber: Court stops PDP from submitting Ihedioha’s Name,” which it promoted on its front page on Monday.
But a statement by Mr. Chibuike Onyeukwu, media aide to Ihedioha said the story was a gross “misrepresentation of the outcome of the court processes.”
Ihedioha said the caption of the story was “plainly misleading, utterly fabricated and obviously at variance with the pronouncement of Justice Mohammed Salihu, who presided over the suit instituted by Senator Samuel Anyanwu against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Imo State PDP Governorship Candidate, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha at the Federal High Court Owerri.”
Below is a full text of the statement:
RT. HON. EMEKA IHEDIOHA CON.
PRESS STATEMENT
Court Ruling: Daily Sun Report Misleading, Inaccurate- Ihedioha
The attention of the former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Imo state governorship candidate, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, CON, has been drawn to the misrepresentation of the outcome of the court processes that appeared on page four of Monday, 15th of October, 2018 edition of Daily Sun and promoted on the front page of the paper captioned: “Imo Guber: Court stops PDP from submitting Ihedioha’s Name”.
Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha would have ordinarily ignored the report but decided otherwise given the profound respect he has for the staff and management of Daily Sun and the imperativeness of putting the record in proper perspectives. The following clarifications accordingly suffice:
1. The caption is plainly misleading, utterly fabricated and obviously at variance with the pronouncement of Justice Mohammed Salihu, who presided over the suit instituted by Senator Samuel Anyanwu against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Imo State PDP Governorship Candidate, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha at the Federal High Court Owerri.
2. The palpable and evident contradictions and ambiguities inherent in the body of the news report, smack of a poorly orchestrated hatchet job which is inconsistent with the recognized Daily Sun’s highflying and sophisticated editorial style.
3. It is largely disquieting and curious that a pronouncement that was made on Thursday, 11th of October, 2018 and used correctly and lavishly in the print, electronic and social media across the country and beyond, would be promoted by Daily Sun on its front page and reported four days later in such an erroneous fashion.
4. To set the record straight, Senator Samuel Anyanwu had in a suit filed at the Federal High Court Owerri against the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP); Imo PDP governorship candidate, Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), sought an interim order for the court to restrain Ihedioha from being the party’s governorship candidate in the state and for INEC to be refrained from taking further steps on the matter until the determination of the substantive case. The presiding Judge, Justice Mohammed Salihu refused to grant the order, ruling that the parties should maintain the status quo that was in place before the suit was filed on the 8th of October, 2018.
5. The status quo before the commencement of the suit was Ihedioha’s victory at the governorship primaries of the party held on Monday, October 1st 2018 and his subsequent declaration by the party as the governorship candidate of the party in the state
6. The Presiding Judge further clarified that he had not asked INEC to stop further action on the result of the primaries, neither had he restrained the PDP.
7. It is therefore imperative for Daily Sun to reflect the court ruling as correctly as it was delivered in line with social responsible media paradigm.
8. Daily Sun Newspaper should also give similar prominence to this rejoinder and appropriately tender apologies for misleading the public, including the National Working Committee of the PDP.
9. Attached is a copy of the Court ruling.
