The Enugu State Chapter of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has reacted angrily to what it described as a revelation by a patriotic Nigerian of a plot allegedly being hatched by the Presidency and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to frame up the Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, with the intention of bringing him to public opprobrium and removing him from office.

In a statement issued on Thursday in Enugu by Hon. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, President of the Chapter, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group re-echoed that “the kernel of this revelation is a plot to plant huge amounts of foreign currencies and firearms in the residence of the Deputy Senate President and use that as guise to arrest and detain him. “

Ohanaeze said: “Even when the EFCC has denied such plot, we have reasons to believe that it is feasible going by the sequence of events that have taken place since June 2015.

“You will recall that this is not the first time the Presidency has made moves to pull Senator Ekweremadu down and remove him from office especially after his emergence as the Deputy Senate President in the 8^th Senate. Soon after his election as the Deputy Senate President, the Presidency accused him of forgery and eventually arraigned him before a judge in Abuja on trumped up charges of forgery. The Deputy Senate President was eventually discharged and acquitted of all the charges. Soon after this, hired assassins breached the convoy of the Senator with intent to assassinate him. Though this matter was officially reported to the security agencies as well as the Presidency, the matter was swept under the carpet. Till date, neither has any arrest been made in connection with the assassination attempt nor any official statement been issued by the government.

“We are also not oblivious of the fact that the Presidency has sponsored several media attacks on the person and office of the Deputy Senate President all in a bid to give a dog a bad name and hang it.

“It is in view of the foregoing events that we take seriously the recent revelation by this good Nigerian on this grand plot by the presidency and the EFCC to plant exhibits in the residence of the Senator with intent of framing him up and bringing him to national and international disrepute. We wish to point out that throughout his public service career till date, Senator Ike Ekweremadu has distinguished himself as a beacon of excellence, hope, accountability, probity and transparency in Nigeria and beyond; as well as a role model for millions of Nigerians irrespective of political affiliations, religion or tribe. Since his emergence as a political leader Sen. Ekweremadu has never been indicted publicly or privately for financial malfeasance or any form of ill conduct.

“The denial by the EFCC notwithstanding, we wish to warn, in the strongest terms possible, that the Enugu State Chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo will not sit idly by and watch our son being maligned; oppressed or ridiculed by the Presidency or the EFCC. In the event of this plot being put into action, the people of Enugu State will mobilize in their numbers to resist such barefaced blackmail. We are not unmindful of the fact that this plot gained currency with Senator Ekweremadu’s role in perfecting the bail conditions of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), who was granted bail recently with stringent conditions. For the avoidance of doubt, Senator Ekweremadu did what he was supposed to do in the circumstance as a firm believer in the rule of law and justice. May we reiterate our strong resolve to resist any plot against Ike Ekweremadu in the manner that has been revealed. A word is enough for the wise.”

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