Written by Amid widespread reactions over the rumoured death of the immediate past Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano (Akpokue Dike) of Aguleri in Anambra East Local Government Area, a former President of the Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU), Chief Alex Onukwue, has dismissed the speculation as false, malicious, and the handiwork of Obiano’s detractors.
Speaking in a telephone interview with journalists on Friday, Onukwue — a former President-General of Aguleri Town Union, Obiano’s hometown — described the rumour as “the ranting of enemies,” insisting that the former governor is “hale and hearty.”
“I just spoke with Obiano now and he confirmed to me that he is hale and hearty,” Onukwue stated.
According to him, those behind the viral story are individuals bent on tarnishing the image of the former governor.
“This is a calculated attempt by enemies to malign my brother, my friend, and my fellow indigene of Aguleri,” he said.
“I just spoke with him on phone now and he confirmed he is hale and hearty. The purveyors of these false rumours must never go unpunished. In fact, they will die before Akpokue Dike of Aguleri.”
Chief Onukwue, who also serves as the National President of the Old Anambea District Development Association (OADDA), expressed disappointment that some individuals would go as far as declaring Obiano dead without any verification.
“This clearly shows they are wishing him dead. God forbid,” he added.
His clarification aligns with an earlier statement by Obiano’s former Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba, who reaffirmed that the former governor is alive, describing the social media posts claiming otherwise as “baseless and unfounded.”
Source: Vanguard