Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has labeled House of Representatives member Imo Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu from Ideato North and South Federal Constituency in Imo State as a “political hushpuppi,” a product of the distortions plaguing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that must be addressed.
Olayinka urged Ugochinyere to cease “masturbating about anything Wike” and focus on the responsibilities for which he was elected, so his constituents stop perceiving him as a failure and consistently expressing votes of no confidence against him.
During an appearance on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Friday, Ugochinyere accused FCT Minister Wike and other G5 Governors, including Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and former governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), of attempting to undermine the PDP.
However, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, Olayinka responded, saying, “This is what happens when individuals who recently joined the PDP are rapidly granted party tickets. If not for the aberrations within the PDP that allowed someone like Ugochinyere, who only joined in 2022, to preside over our loyalty discussions, he wouldn’t be lecturing us on party fidelity.”
“If the PDP had functioned correctly, would a ‘political hushpuppi’ like Ugochinyere have received the party’s ticket while still belonging to another party? Even now, as a PDP representative, Ugochinyere clings to his affiliation with the Action Peoples Party (APP), exploiting opportunities in Rivers State.”
“We aren’t concerned with Ugochinyere’s outbursts, as we understand why he accuses Wike of employing ‘childish and kindergarten politics.’ He needs to appease those who benefit from Rivers State’s resources.”
Mocking Ugochinyere for his constant reliance on various organizations to further his political ambitions, Olayinka remarked, “In more lawful societies, such individuals would face arrest, trial, and conviction for impersonation.”
“When he arrived at the House of Representatives, lacking a legitimate title to sustain his political charade, he gave himself the fictitious title of ‘Spokesperson of Opposition Lawmakers Coalition in the 10th National Assembly,’ claiming appointment by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP).”
“But the questions remain: is CUPP a political party with representation in the House of Representatives? Where and when was CUPP founded? Beyond the established positions of Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip, and Deputy Minority Whip, does a spokesperson for opposition lawmakers even exist in the National Assembly?”
“Being the unabashed political hustler that he is, Ugochinyere willingly transgressed the rules of the National Assembly by bestowing upon himself a non-existent title, yet he was determined to have any title that would keep his hustle alive—and it has certainly flourished.”
“By falsely portraying himself as the spokesperson for opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives, Ugochinyere has been profiting in Rivers State, whether through his past party, APP, or by leveraging his nebulous claim as an opposition lawmaker to secure benefits in Rivers.”
