I'm not leaving PDP, Ekweremadu says

The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has described as untrue, reports purporting division in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2019 General Elections.

Ekweremadu, who made this known in a statement by his Media Adviser, Mr Uche Anichukwu on Monday, described the reports as “fake news, cheap blackmail, smear campaign and extreme propaganda.”

He urged party faithful and supporters not to be distracted by “the lie mills” as the nation approached the critical stages of the 2019 elections, but to remain focused.

“My attention has been drawn to the orchestrated attempts by some characters to create the impression of a divided house in Peoples Democratic Party in the coming presidential election.

“Such characters dish out fake and divisive stories without source on a daily basis and attribute same to me.

“I refuse to be distracted by such cheap blackmail, smear campaign, and extreme propaganda,” he said.

According to him, it is important to reassure PDP supporters that the party is united and focused.

“After the PDP lost the presidency and majority status at the National Assembly in 2015, I made it clear that I would stand by the party, no matter what.

“It took other party stakeholders and I a lot of efforts, sacrifices, soul-searching and painstaking negotiations to hold the party together and rebuild it.

“If I did not abandon the PDP at its darkest hour, it does not make the slightest sense to say that I abandoned it now that its sun is rising again.

“Meanwhile, I have held separate meetings with our Vice Presidential candidate, Peter Obi and the Chairman, South East Governors Forum, Dave Umahi, to work out strategies for the success of our party and candidates in the coming elections.

“We are also setting up a meeting of South East PDP stakeholders by weekend to continue to strategise on the coming elections,” he said.