Emeka Ihedioha, a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, has clarified a remark in which he is said to have referred to Peter Obi’s followers as saboteurs. He expressed regret for the situation as well.
He came under fire over a remark he allegedly made during an Igbo community’s new yam ceremony in Accra, Ghana, in which he allegedly called Obi’s supporters saboteurs.
However, the former governor of Imo State claimed in a statement on Friday that he is friends with the Anambra-born politician, and could not have made such a comment.
Ihedioha said when he featured on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily,
“That cannot be me. It is far from the truth and not in my character. I believe even in dissent from within my immediate nuclear family.
“My position was very simple. I was speaking to our people – I am an Mbaise man – and the PDP has been faithful to us and has given us support; the opportunity to produce a governor in our state. I said to them, we have an opportunity and I called that they should not sabotage our efforts to reclaim power. That was it and the context.”
Faulting Nigerians criticising him over the alleged comment, Ihedioha said his comment was misinterpreted.
“If you do watch the tape, you will find the context,” he said, adding that his statement was “certainly blown out of proportion.”
Ihedioha, who emerged Imo State governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2019, but was sacked from office in less than one by the Supreme Court, meanwhile, tendered an a apolo hurt love his alleged statemen.
He said, “So, to all those – millions of Nigerians particularly of southeast extraction – who are hurt by my use of language, I am deeply sorry about it,” he said.
“I do not mean to hurt anybody and they have a right to express their political opinions in any way, form, or shape. I have lots of my friends who belong to other political parties and we still relate.”