SAN FRANCISCO, June 27, (THEWILL) – Some eminent personalities from Kogi West, including two former ministers, have disassociated themselves from a statement credited to Okun Development Initiative, ODI, which included them among those supporting embattled senator representing the area, Dino Melaye.
ODI had in the statement claimed that former minister of Health, Prof. Eyitayo Lambo, ex-minister of Justice and Attorney General of Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo SAN, and General David Jemibowon (retd) have declared their unalloyed support for Melaye, adding that they described the signatures being bandied around as those of the constituents of Melaye seeking to recall him as fake and not from the people of Kogi West.
But in a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by Lambo, Ojo, Oshanupin and Tunde Ipinmisho, they denied ever endorsing any statement on the recall of the lawmaker.
While demanding a retraction of the story alleging that they supported Melaye, the eminent Kogi West sons stated that based on their reputations which they achieved after decades of hard work, they would not allow anyone rub it in the mud or drag it into the messy recall process going on in Kogi State.
The statement reads, “Our attention has been drawn to a statement purportedly issued by the Okun Development Initiative on the ongoing attempt to recall Senator Dino Melaye (APC – Kogi West). Curiously, our names were given out as signatories to the document.
“We wish to state that we do not know ODI and have no relationship with the body in any form whatsoever. It therefore follows that we did not and indeed could not have signed any statement for an organisation with which we are not affiliated.
“We have earned our reputations through decades of hard work and would go to any length to resist attempts by anybody or group to draw us into the mess going on in Kogi State.
“This forgery is unacceptable to us and we demand an immediate retraction and an apology from those behind it.”
