A member of the House of Representatives, representing Ohaozara, Onicha and Ivo Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State, Hon. Linus Abaa Okorie, has disclosed that his relationship with former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Pius Anyim, and Governor David Umahi remain cordial.

Social media reports had claimed that the grassroots politician may have moved to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to perfect his re-election bid following controversial primaries in which he was denied a return ticket.

However, Okorie said that as a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he cannot abandon the party, especially now that his political ally and former Vice President of the country, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is now its presidential candidate.

The ranking lawmaker spoke at his Egunkwo Onicha Igboeze hometown while addressing the people of the clan on the circumstances surrounding the recently concluded party primaries and the way forward for him and his people.

While lamented how he was severally dribbled by the state governor and his party men over the ticket, he, however, stated that he was not bearing any grudge against the Governor, the zonal Vice Chairman of the party, Austin Umahi, and the former SGF, Senator Anyim, over the whole issue.

Okorie, who was first elected into the lower chamber of the National Assembly in 2011 is currently the Chairman House Committee on Agricultural Colleges and Institutions.

He further urged the people to vote massively for Atiku Abubakar and his running mate, Mr. Peter Obi, in next year’s presidential election, adding that the duo has the magic wand to re-fix the economy of the country.

“I have no problem with Governor Umahi, I don’t also have problem with Anyim Pius Anyim, I have no problem with anybody. In this forthcoming general election, I am totally for PDP. I am supporting Atiku and he is the one God has brought out to salvage this country.

“I am working for him and I have opened a befitting campaign office in Abakaliki for that purpose. We shall be operating under the name: Friends of Atiku (FOA) of which I am the state Co-ordinator, and I have collapsed my political structure into it.

“In the general election, I want you to do what our Governor, Umahi normally say. When any candidate comes to beg for your votes, sit the person down and ask him or her what such person will do for you and the entire local government if elected.

“This is very necessary to hold such a person accountable when elected and if he/she fails to deliver. You should set up a committee that will negotiate with candidates on what they will do for you when elected,” he said.

Some stakeholders and leaders of the clan, in their separate remarks, described Hon. Okorie as their true leader and promised to always follow him wherever he goes politically.

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