The All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant running for Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, Chief Mrs Mary Ikoku, has given an online blog 72 hours to retrsct a malicious report about her in the blog, or face litigation.
Famous Reporters had run a headline claiming that according to Chief Mrs Ikoku, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha hijacked materials meant for Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency. According to the same headline, the party chairman in Abia State, Dr Kingsley Ononogbu, Organising Secretary Obinna Atuonwu and Secretary, Chidi Avaja were indicted by Ikoku in their claims.
However, a quick click on the link showed that the story has been pulled down by the publishers. This is after the damage they have done by making spurious claims that she granted them an interview.
In a statement, Mary Ikoku gave the publishers of Famous Reporters 72 hours to retract the publication and tender an unreserved apology to her person.
She further stated that the blog publishers should be ready to face her lawyers.
It read in part: “My attention has been drawn to a baseless publication by Famous Reporters I have nothing to do with it. I don’t know who is behind this. I don’t know who is trying to drag my name to disrepute. I do not know of the existence of this news site until today.
It is a distorted account of the Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency primaries. At no point did I grant any interview to the Famous Reporters and hereby dissociate myself from the said publication.
The Mary Ikoku Campaign Organisation also dissociates itself from the publication claiming that our chairman, Dr K.O Ononogbu, Honourable Onyejeocha, Obinna Atuonwu, Chidi Avaja, and the rest named party officials were indicted.
I don’t understand what this is about. In my 20 years of practice, I have always conducted myself in the most professional manner.
I do not involve myself in hatchet work even when it comes to media.
So this comes to me as a rude shock and I wonder who is behind this mischief. This is in total dissonance with the ethics of journalistic profession and I completely distance myself from it.
Unfortunately, I am not able to read the details of the false publication because the time I clicked on the link, it had already been taken down.
But I want to state that whatever is there is false, and a calculated attempt to misrepresent issues with an intent of embarrassing our party, cause disaffection between me and the party leadership
The Chairman and other leaders of our party are people I have great respect for, and whoever is behind it is of the intent to cause rancour and bickering within the party.
I am giving them 72 hours to retract the publication or come clean with the source of this malicious publication. Otherwise, the publisher will face litigation.
Signed,
Mrs Mary Ikoku.
Below are screenshots of the page:
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