PDP national legal adviser, Enoidem denies working for Akpabio

Daniel Etokidem

The People’s Democratic Party national legal adviser, Mr Emmanuel Enoidem has denied secretly working for the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

A statement signed by the Media Unit, Office of the PDP National Adviser and made available to our correspondent on Wednesday, blamed an online medium for publishing falsehood, which was allegedly endorsed by one Hon. Ibrahim Adedamola Abbey on behalf of a group – South West PDP Concern Youth Forum.

The statement read: “The attention of the PDP National Legal Adviser, Barr Emmanuel Enoidem has been drawn to a story captioned: “How PDP National Legal Adviser, Enoidem working for Akpabio Exposed,” published by an online newsblog, https://ibomfocus.com/2021/04/06/enoidem-working-for-akpabio/, allegedly signed by one, Hon. Ibrahim Adedamola Abbey, on behalf of a group that calls itself South West PDP Concerned Youth Forum.

“The said report suggests that the PDP National Legal Adviser is…”capitalizing on Fayose’s ego to advance his own interest in the South West” and that …”the PDP National Legal Adviser, Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem has been accused of playing the card of his former boss, with the intention of destabilizing the South West zone of the party and creating an enabling environment for the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, to continue holding the South West ahead of 2023 general election.

“Nothing could be farther from the truth than this shameless piece. For anyone to foment this rubbish, that the National Legal Adviser will, rather than supporting Akpabio to win Akwa Ibom which is firmly in the grip of our dear party but to help him to win in the South West, is very childish and puerile and exposes the authors as children.

“The report apart from being false, baseless, unfounded, infantile, inane and misplaced, perhaps exists only in the figment of the writer(s) imagination and their sponsor(s) which does not warrant to be dignified with a response but not for the purpose of setting the records straight and in order for the public not to be deceived, misled or confused by these merchants of lies, propaganda and mischief.”

According to the statement, while the lies are not totally unexpected considering the political environment the party finds itself, to infer that Enoidem is working for Akpabio to destabilise the PDP in the South West is one propaganda too infantile, idiotic, weak, petty, and ridiculous to be taken seriously by any right-thinking member of the party or public.

The statement added that the PDP National Legal Adviser is a faithful, loyal, and committed member of the PDP since the formation of the party in 1998 and remains committed to the founding principles and ideals of the party.

“He is not the type that engages in anti-party activities or wanders about from one party to another like the authors of this garbage and their sponsors. He has a character, he has integrity. He has honour and is a highly principled professional.  These are virtues none of the sponsors of these blackmail against him can possess.

“The PDP National Legal Adviser had earlier clarified issues bothering on the PDP South West zonal crisis less than two months ago when the allegations first came up and he stands by those positions which are as valid as they were then as they are now.

“The general public is therefore hereby enjoined to disregard the said story as not only fake but an extreme falsehood in its entirety.

“The public should be rest assured that no amount of sponsored blackmail, character assassination or intimidation will deter Barr Emmanuel Enoidem from living up to the duties and responsibilities of his office as the Chief Law Officer of the party.

“And shall in all circumstances, do all in his powers to continually offer sound, unbiased, professional, and patriotic legal advice to the party in keeping with his oath of office as the National Legal Adviser of the party and his principle as a defender of the truth, justice and fairness and as a committed member of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC,” the statement noted.