UMEH LIED ON OBI -EX-APGA STALWART

By NBF News

Chief Umeh
National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sir Victor Umeh, yesterday, came under attack for claiming to be the sole actor in the reinstatement of Mr. Peter Obi after his impeachment as Anambra State governor through the intervention of the late Dim Emeka Ojukwu.

Refuting what she called 'Umeh's claims,' former Transitional Committee chairman of Nnewi North Council Area, Mrs. Callista Adimachukwu, in her family compound in Nnewi, maintained that it was rather herself that won Ojukwu to Obi's side.

Adimachukwu, who is better known as Mmilioma-Nnewi, explained that Umeh's assertions in a national daily that he brought Governor Peter Obi back to life after his political demise through impeachment, was a mere fantasy in Umeh's imagination.

According to her, 'my concern in this matter is that history should be put in the right perspective. Chief Victor Umeh said in a newspaper of April 30 and I quote, 'I was a pivot of the struggle to bring Obi to become the governor of Anambra State. I was pillar for him to be elected for a second time.

When he was impeached, I can say that, that was the day he died; I brought him back to life. I was the one who reinstated him by holding Ojukwu to support him.' I wish to state that I was the person who alerted and persuaded Dim Ojukwu, after almost two hours on the phone, to help Peter Obi. I heard about the plans for his impeachment when I went to the traditional wedding of Augustine Ilodibe's (Ekenedilichukwu) daughter, here in Nnewi, from a member of the House of Representatives, who was discussing it with his friends. They took me into confidence and begged me not to talk; I left the scene immediately and called Ojukwu to inform him.

'I equally spoke with Chief Ejiamatu Igbokwe and Chief John Nnia Nwodo, who was visiting Ikemba that day. It took Ikemba a long while to accept my pleas to help Obi because, based on my discussions with Ikemba, he was not happy with Peter Obi then, since he (Ikemba) suspected Obi of working with the opposition.'

Mmilioma, who spoke to Daily Sun in company with her husband, Dim Fidelis, also faulted Umeh's claims by pointing out that she was the only woman invited to a press briefing in Awka, initiated by Ojukwu along with four others, including the late Michael Okpara's son and John Nwodo to address issues concerning the impeachment.

The former APGA member who is now in PDP, maintained that she had no ulterior motive in calling Umeh to order, even though she was now in another party but was only interested in the setting records straight.

'My husband and I were the sole financiers of APGA in Nnewi then. We were staunch loyalists and the sole financiers in our community. I chose to help Obi then because I was protecting my political investment. We are not making this press statement for any material gains or to score cheap political points.'