Deputy Speaker Denies Involvement in alleged campaign of defamation against Minister

Rep. Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, has disassociated himself from the purported campaign of defamation directed on Mrs. Nkiruka Onyejiocha, the Minister of State for Labor and Employment.

Mr. Levinus Nwabughiogu, the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in Abuja, made a statement containing this information.

He added that a certain Usman Shuaibu, posing as the Progressive League of APC Youth Voters’ national coordinator, spread rumors about the Deputy Speaker’s alleged campaign of defamation against Onyejiocha.

According to him, Kalu and Onyejiocha had a strong and positive connection as sisters and respectable partners in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

Nonetheless, he expressed great concern at Onyejiocha’s failure to withdraw from the news conference.

He continued by saying that it brings disgrace upon her person to suggest that a minister would be purposefully stirring up issues when none did not exist.

 “From what is conceivably right and true Onyejiocha is a sister whose integrity would be brutally assaulted by a group that chooses to drag her name to raising false accusations.

He stated that, first of all, aside from disagreements over collective patrimony in Abia State, Kalu and Onyejioch are not directly political allies and are not involved in a feudal battle. Onyejioch is a fellow congress member in the 9th National Assembly.

He said, “both officials hail from different political constituencies and so, there is no basis for a political war at all.”

According to him, Kalu’s mission was to bring about a paradigm change in political leadership, particularly as it relates to this nation’s youth.

 “It then beats an imagination that Kalu from Bende Federal Constituency, preoccupied with a plethora of national engagemets would effortlessly pick up a quarrel with his sister from Isukwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency.

According to him, the deputy speaker’s office believed this to be a false alarm and a calculated scheme to drive a wedge between a brother and his beautiful sister.