A former governor of Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu, has debunked reports that he has tied the nuptial knot with a legal practitioner and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Mrs. Halima Alfa, in a secret wedding last Friday, describing it as a product of political mischief.

Audu, who is the APC candidate in the Kogi State November 21 governorship election in a statement by his Special Assistant (Social Media), Mr. Odaudu Joel Minister, on Tuesday in Lokoja said the story was “a dirty campaign” planted by his political detractors in the opposition to cause confusion in his political camp.

He said: “We read with disdain a report on an online news blog, dailymail.com.ng, entitled, ‘Prince Abubakar Audu Marries New Wife For Election’, and another on thebreakingtimes.com entitled, ‘Prince Abubakar Audu In Secret Wedding’. Inasmuch as such write-up should be considered as tales by moonlight, and would have passed as a comedy of the century, we wish to set the record straight in order to ensure that the unsuspecting public will not be misled by this fiction written by the prevaricating author. The story represents the worst form of journalism if it can be called that as it lacks merit, balance and professionalism.

“We are convinced that the story is the handiwork media mercenaries being sponsored by the trembling, anaemic, and already debilitated opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State, and those who are bent on denting the image of Prince Abubakar Audu and Halima Alfa, whose political weight and relevance in the Eastern Senatorial District of Kogi State is intimidating the PDP.

“It is unconscionable and unholy for the Kogi State chapter of the PDP to concoct stories of this sort with the intention of smearing the good image of Prince Abubakar Audu and ridicule the enviable reputation of Hajiya Halima Alfa, a political heavyweight from the Eastern senatorial block of the state. This is politics of character assassination taken beyond the pale. It is campaign of calumny way over the odds.”

Odaudu described the PDP in Kogi State as “a party of traducers that is led and inspired by a microscopic cabal, shameful fablers, tricksters and cheap propagandists.”

According to him, no amount of dirty propaganda can diminish the swelling popularity and acceptance of Prince Abubakar Audu in Kogi State, as no degree of fabricated stories can forestall his victory in the November, 2015 governorship poll.

“The PDP has completely lost ground and relevance in Kogi State politics and this flaccid political campaign can never bail them out of their current irretrievable political calamity,” he stated

Odaudu urged the people and the media not to make an issue out of the rumour because it was meant to present both Prince Audu and Hajiya Halima Alfa in a bad light.

•Photo shows Prince Abubakar Audu.

Update news