Security Expert, Ejiofor, Denies Attacking  Peter Obi

Alex Enumah in Abuja

A security expert and a former Director of the Department of State Service (DSS), Mr. Mike Ejiofor, has denied comments credited to him against the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi.

According to an online publication, the Opera News, the former DSS director made  disparaging remarks against the LP’s candidate in respect of his presidential ambition.

The online news medium in its report titled: ‘Obi is Going Nowhere As Far As God Lives, If Igbos Want A Representative, It’s Not Peter Obi – Mike Ejiofor,’ also accused Ejiofor of commending President Bola Tinubu for playing a paternal role in his appointments.

The medium further alleged that Ejiofor had said that despite receiving fewer votes from the South-east geo-political zone of Nigeria in the recent presidential election, Tinubu had acted as a father figure for the nation by addressing the grievances of the South Easterners.

Reacting, Ejiofor in a statement issued yesterday, condemned the report, describing it as total falsehood, misleading, baseless and the imagination of the writer.

He explained that his public discussions centred only on security issues where he tries to suggest way forward in addressing security challenges confronting the country.

“I was shocked by the purported report and comments credited to my name. I am not a politician and I don’t discuss political issues. As a security expert, I talk about security challenges confronting the country. On no account did I make such statement.I have never discussed anything against Peter Obi or any political figure. I have been receiving calls and flacks over a comment I did not make”.

He therefore, called on the purveyor of what he termed fake news, to immediately retract the story and tender unreserved apology for attempting to drag his name into dirty politics.

He insisted that he is a security expert and not a politician, and as such, nobody should drag him into politics or attempt to smear his reputation.

Meanwhile, Ejiofor said he has already contacted his lawyer and will not fail to institute legal action against the publisher of Opera news for failing to immediately retract the “reckless and baseless report.”

Ejiofor also used the occasion to caution publishers against fake news, stressing that such unguarded statement was capable of inciting violence and creating unnecessary animosity among groups and individuals.