Ambassador Umaru Iliya Damagum, the Peoples Democratic Party’s Gubernatorial candidate for Yobe State in 2019, has debunked media reports that he has asked a court to sack Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State and swear him in his place.
In an exclusive interview with Neptune Prime, Ambassador Damagum said some disgruntled politicians, frustrated by the successful outcome of the recently concluded state congress of the PDP, mischievously used his name.
He said: “the idea is to divert my attention and that of my party from repositioning the PDP for future success and scuttle our case in a court of competent jurisdiction in Damaturu.”
Echoing late MKO Abiola, Ambassador Damagum asked rhetorically, “can you shave a man in his absence?” He said, “I did not engage any lawyer to go to court on my behalf, no lawyer took any brief from me and I have signed no document regarding this purported case.”
The PDP stalwart also said even his party is not aware of the case “because our Legal Adviser was not in the picture”. He said he also consulted his party’s bigwigs, and all expressed surprise because they were not aware of anything like that.
He said in a hurry, the mischief makers who used his names differently in different reports, have forgotten that his running mate, Baba Abba Aji has already decamped to the APC.
The Ambassador also cautioned journalists “to be cautious of planted stories and not allow rabble-rousers to use them just because they are in a hurry to sell their papers or make a quick gain”. He said “a conscientious journalist would first ask which court is hearing the case. Most of the reports I saw had not mentioned any court hearing the case.”
While asking party members to remain resolute and focused so that fifth columnists would not come in to disrupt their rebuilding efforts, the Ambassador called on those who dragged the name of the respected senior lawyer, Emeka Etiaba (SAN), in the mud to apologize to the senior silk.
The one time Nigeria’s Ambassador to Romania and Bulgaria reiterated his commitment to the PDP and vowed to remain loyal to its ideals.
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