By DADA AYOKHAI
The lawmaker representing Edo North senatorial district, Francis Alimikhena, yesterday, distanced himself from the viral All Progressives Congress, APC, letterhead in circulations and the misleading publications in national dalies of his purported defeat and participation in the primary election of the APC in Edo North.
He also noted that the five fictitious scores allocated to him by a political party he doesn’t belong to was aimed at smearing his image.
In a statement by his media aide, Benjamin Atu, Alimikhena urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the APC to withdraw his name from the viral circular score sheet or face legal action for “their connivance and blackmailing electoral officers, who are a signatory to such publication.
“I am going to take legal actions against all print, electronic as well as social media platforms, which were compromised to blackmail me mentioning that I was defeated in a primary where I didn’t participate and where Adams Oshiomhole was unopposed. I couldn’t have been defeated by an APC aspirant when I am not a member of the party.
“It is ridiculous to see some media houses publishing a misleading publication that Oshiomhole defeated incumbent Senator Alimikhena. Oshiomhole was unopposed and Alimikhena was never a member of the APC when the election took place.
“We dare INEC and APC to produce the video or publish the photo evidence where Alimikhena participated in the said primary election as well as his attendance signature. Failure to provide such evidence or retracting the misleading publication will lead to defamatory charges of such reckless allegations and blackmail.”
“Truth and accuracy were wantonly and recklessly sacrificed on the altar of personal aggrandizement in their desperation to make financial gains. Oshiomhole was unopposed and couldn’t have defeated an empty air in his shadow primary.
“Unless a man is honest, we have no right to keep him in public life, it matters not how brilliant his capacity may be.”
