By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
In apparent bid to deescalate the raging face-off between him and Ms Chinyere Amuchienwa, former Imo State Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, on Friday said he would no longer comment on the feud.
Ohakim, who spoke through his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, implored his supporters and well-wishers to stand down on the matter.
The former governor said that having sufficiently debunked what he called “unproven and libelous allegations” by Ms Amuchienwa, any further engagements on the matter will now be “ventilated in the appropriate forum (not in the Media) – if and when it becomes necessary.”
The statement by Ejimakor, who is the Managing Partner of the Abuja-based Adulbert Legal Services, which was sent to TheNiche on Friday is titled: Smear campaign: Ohakim issues ‘Stop Press.’
Below is the full statement.
Press Release/Legal Disclaimer
August 21, 2020
RE: Dr Ikedi Ohakim (former Governor of Imo State)
By: Aloy Ejimakor (Of Counsel to Dr Ikedi Ohakim)
This Press Release/Legal Disclaimer is directed at the publications ensuing from THISDAY’s 12th August, 2020 publication based on a number of unproven and libelous allegations by one Ms Chinyere Lilian Amuchienwa (née Igwegbe) against the person of His Excellency, Dr Ikedi Ohakim (a former Governor of Imo State), and on whose Instructions we hereby state as follows:
1, It is understandable that Media organizations are interested in obtaining Dr Ohakim’s side of the story to the negative media ensuing from said THISDAY publication, Ms Amuchienwa’s subsequent interview granted to Premium Times on August 18, 2020 and other negative publications issuing therefrom.
2, Our Client (Dr Ikedi Ohakim) hereby categorically states that he does not wish to say anything further on the matter beyond the Press Release issued by this Counsel on August 13, 2020, the two interviews Counsel subsequently granted to the media and the two Press Releases by Dr Ohakim’s Political Adviser, the last of which sufficiently conveyed Dr Ohakim’s profound lack of enthusiasm and distaste for any negative media against Ms Amuchienwa, even as this whole saga started with THISDAY’s publication of her libelous, incredulous and unproven allegations against his person.
3, It is pertinent to note that Dr Ohakim himself has not publicly uttered a word since this whole saga started with its inaugural publication for which THISDAY had clearly stated (in the said publication) that it obtained the story from sources other than Dr Ohakim. And all the public statements by Dr Ohakim’s Political Adviser and this Counsel have advisedly been centered on rebuttals of the unproven allegations publicly leveled against him by Ms Amuchienwa.
4, At this point, we have determined that our rebuttals, as enumerated above, are enough to refute those published false allegations. In the same vein, Dr Ohakim seizes this opportunity to appeal to millions of his supporters and well-wishers who are justifiably offended by the smear campaign against him to stand down.
Accordingly, any further engagements of this matter by Dr Ohakim will be ventilated in the appropriate forum (not in the Media) – if and when it becomes necessary.