Senator Obinna Ogba, representing Ebonyi Central zone of Ebonyi State, has debunked a social media report alleging that there was a name known as Abuja group in the state. The story alleged that Senator Ogba was the leader of the new Abuja group where politicians, mostly National Assembly members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) extraction and some All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwarts from the state to “thwart and outsmart governor Umahi from choosing his proffered successor as governor of Ebonyi State in 2023.”

Ogba has however described the report as a total blackmail and attempt to cause trouble and disaffection in the state by sowing the seeds of bitterness, anger, distrust, and hatred.

He said in a statement on Monday: “The so called Abuja group only exists in the writer’s imagination and that of his sponsors. It is pertinent to state that if there is any Abuja group or would be, I am not aware and cannot be a party to such distraction.

“This is surely the handiwork of the opposition who were recently defeated at the polls. The target is to distract the party and government in the state by sowing seeds of discord.

“The Ebonyi PDP as a family has come a long way since 1999 and has worked very hard to maintain the number one position in the politics of the state, and we cannot allow any passenger to come in between us.

“Our governor Engr. David Umahi is a team player who has carried major stakeholders along. We are proud of him and we have overwhelming confidence in him as our leader.

“Let me use this medium to warn such fourth columnists that some of us are very old in this game of politics. This tactic is too elementary that we could have ignored it but for record purposes.

“I want to assure members of our great party that I am solidly behind the performing governor of the state, Engr. David Umahi, and I am determined to give him the necessary support to make his second term another huge success.

“For emphasis may I state without equivocation that there is no Abuja group in Ebonyi state and I can never encourage such as it would disrupt the smooth run of the state.

“Let me put the record straight, there was no meeting of either the so called Abuja group or any such group working against the interest of Governor David Umahi be it in ‘Bisalla road’ Abuja or Enugu as the confused writer claimed.

“It is a known fact that I am a foundation member of the PDP and has remained so; I would not for any reason hold meeting with some persons mentioned in the purported report as they are members of the APC whom I cannot discuss politics with. I have nothing with them and so far they remain in APC, I would not have anything with them.

“It is on record that I have never left the PDP even for one day. I was a founding member of the party and former party chairman, I am too big to play anti party behind the scene.”

Ogba called on the people of the state to disregard the media report and go about their normal business.

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