By Jideoffor Odo 

In the theatre of politics where ambition often collides with integrity, it is not uncommon for mischief, opportunism, and calculated falsehoods to be deployed as tools of distraction. What is, however, troubling is the increasing desperation of certain elements who, under the guise of patriotism, resort to crude blackmail and unfounded allegations in a bid to undermine credible leadership.

Expectedly, and consistent with their well-known antics, which have become their stock-in-trade, some mischief makers, opportunists, and fair-weather actors masquerading as altruistic and patriotic leaders have once again launched a campaign of calumny and social media blackmail against the upright and decent State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, Dr. Martin Chukwunweike. This time, they have found a willing platform in Sahara Reporters.

In their latest attempt, they operated under the amorphous and anonymous group name Nwanne Ka Oyi and a pseudonym, Ikechukwu Ezeja, to baselessly and ignorantly call for the immediate resignation of Dr. Chukwunweike.    

They falsely accused him of imposing a senatorial candidate for the vacant Enugu North Senatorial Zone seat—an allegation made without any shred of credible or verifiable evidence, especially when party primaries have not even been conducted.

This development is hardly surprising, because certain individuals have grown increasingly apprehensive and unsettled by the rising popularity and strengthening structure of the APC in Enugu State, particularly in Enugu North Senatorial Zone, since the emergence of the performing Governor of the state, Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, as the political leader, and Dr. Chukwunweike as the State Party Chairman.

If not for the reality that social media and online platforms have become convenient levellers, often exploited for the fabrication and dissemination of falsehoods, propaganda, and outright lies without immediate consequences or accountability, this sponsored blackmail and the call for Dr. Chukwunweike’s resignation over a phantom allegation would not merit any dignified response.

However, for the sake of posterity and to set the record straight, it must be unequivocally stated that Dr. Chukwunweike has neither imposed nor attempted to impose any senatorial candidate in Enugu North Senatorial Zone. These claims are entirely concocted, contrived, and exist only in the imagination of their sponsors, proving, yet again, that self-delusion remains the greatest illusion.

It is public knowledge that the APC has only recently released its timetable for party primaries, which are yet to commence. It is only after these primaries are duly conducted that candidates for various elective positions will emerge. Any claim to the contrary is not only premature, but deliberately misleading.

The public is therefore urged to discountenance and disregard this needless, anonymous, and baseless call for the resignation of Dr. Chukwunweike. It is nothing more than a calculated, but ultimately futile attempt at blackmail, one that is clearly dead on arrival.

As events continue to unfold, it is evident that the good people of Enugu North Senatorial Zone remain unperturbed and undistracted by such antics. Rather than be swayed by propaganda, they are focused, united, and actively mobilizing for the forthcoming mega endorsement rally in support of Governor Mbah, scheduled to hold on May 2, 2026, at Nsukka Township Stadium.

Finally, truth will always outlive falsehood, and integrity will ultimately triumph over intrigue. Those who trade in deception may dominate the airwaves temporarily, but they cannot rewrite reality or derail the collective will of a determined people.