Akobundu’s team fires back: calls Onwusibe a ‘political lunatic’ in need of urgent psychiatric help | #NwokeukwuMascot

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Senator Akobundu’s Team Responds to Onwusibe’s Remarks: Calls Him a 'Political Lunatic in Need of Urgent Psychiatric Attention' | #NwokeukwuMascot

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The media team of Senator Augustine Akobundu has issued a scathing response to remarks made by Hon. Ginger Onwusibe, the Member Representing Isiala Ngwa North and South in the House of Representatives. In a statement by Mr. Jude Ndukwe, Akobundu’s media team condemned Onwusibe’s comments during the Abia Central Labour Party meeting in Ikwuano Local Government Area, describing him as a "political lunatic in need of urgent psychiatric attention."

Onwusibe, who has recently faced criticism for his controversial distribution of cassava stems and a few tubers of yam as empowerment to his constituents, had accused Senator Akobundu of stealing the Senate mandate through the judiciary. This drew a sharp rebuttal from Akobundu’s media team, who characterized Onwusibe’s remarks as unprovoked and baseless.

“Our attention has been drawn to incendiary rhetoric reportedly made by Ginger Onwusibe, who called Senator Austin Akobundu unprintable names during the recent Abia Central Labour Party tour in Ikwuano. After waiting for Onwusibe to debunk or deny his statements and seeing he did neither, we advise Onwusibe to urgently take a break from politics to seek comprehensive psychiatric care to cure himself of his worsening lunacy once and for all,” Ndukwe’s statement read.

The statement went on to criticize Onwusibe’s political conduct, describing him as notorious for “political rascality, thuggery, and garrulousness.” It defended Senator Akobundu’s mandate, emphasizing that the Court of Appeal had delivered a well-researched judgment in November 2023, declaring Akobundu as the duly elected Senator for Abia Central.

“Ordinarily, we would not have joined issues with Ginger, a man whose notoriety for political rascality, thuggery and garrulousness is well known to the people, but for the need to keep the records straight and save beloved Abians from being further swayed by merchants of mischief and political savagery masquerading as democrats.

“Let it be on record that in a well researched and eloquently delivered judgement, the Court of Appeal rightly declared Senator Austin Akobundu winner of the Abia Central Senatorial election held in February 2023. Not satisfied, his then opponent, Hon. Darlington Nwokocha allowed himself to be goaded and misled by social misfits like Ginger Onwusibe, and proceeded to file a motion in the same Court of Appeal for a review of judgement. The Court of Appeal did not only dismiss the motion, but it also fined Nwokocha the sum of N5m, which he was ordered to pay to Senator Akobundu and the PDP.

“Seeing that the Appeal Court rulings on the matter perfectly reflected the will of the people and the mandate they freely gave Akobundu during the elections but which Ginger Onwusibe and his cohorts, in their usual attempts at fraudulently upturning the people's will, tried to manipulate to favour Nwokocha, Onwusibe and his co-travellers are embittered that their plans did not work out that time around. 

“Beyond his misplaced missive against Senator Akobundu, Ginger Onwusibe's statement on the judiciary in the course of his diatribe was not only reckless and dangerous, but was also unbecoming of a lawmaker of the Federal Republic, and an assault on our judiciary. Such statements pose grave danger to our democracy with their attendant consequences on the nation. Nobody in their sane minds would have made such irresponsible remarks except those affected by and associated with Post-Election Loss Lunacy Syndrome (PELLS).

“While we truly understand how pained Ginger Onwusibe is that despite the fleeting political wave that swept disguised urchins like him to the National Assembly, his fast-fading Labour Party in Abia State could not produce a senator.

“We therefore urge him to eschew such bitterness that has obviously taken a toll on his mental health and seek urgent psychiatric attention to save himself from further diminishing into opprobrious oblivion.

“May we remind Onwusibe that Senator Akobundu's popularity among his constituents can only keep growing as he continues to sponsor empowerment programmes of significant impact on the people and the senatorial district. 

“His recent sponsorship of 113 constituents on a full 3-year scholarship to the National Teachers' Institute (NTI); followed by training of several others in the areas of sewing and farming, reflect the Senator's determination to further improve the quality of education and promote MSMEs in his senatorial district. 

“In the same vein, his just concluded free training of over four hundred children/youths of the District in the areas of robotics and engineering is not only the first of its kind in the constituency but is a pointer to his determination to rewrite the history of empowerment in ways that will transcend generations. To this end, the people have shown enormous appreciation and even greater belief and confidence in his forthcoming sponsorship of another set of youths billed to be trained in the following areas of ICT: UI/UX Design, Web Design, Professional Graphics Design, Cyber Security Systems and Operations, Digital Marketing and Forex Trading. 

“Unlike Ginger Onwusibe's brand of youth empowerment where young men and women are constantly groomed in thuggery, charlatanism and barbarism to be unleashed on the electorate during elections for selfish reasons, Senator Austin Akobundu's empowerment programmes are conceived and deliberately tailored to turn youths of the District from job seekers to prosperous and globally competitive entrepreneurs.

“All these, Senator Akobundu achieved in just about seven months of being in the Senate, making an average of about one significant empowerment programme in every two months, a feat Nwokocha, could not achieve in his short lived and ill-fated stint at the Senate. 

“And this is just the beginning as more, including physical projects, are in the offing for the people by Senator Akobundu.” Ndukwe added.

“Lastly, as a former National Organising Secretary of PDP and one of its most performing current Senators in the entire federation, we are proud to say that Senator Akobundu remains a hugely popular figure in the Party

“Rather than being startled and unsettled by the towering popularity of Senator Akobundu, we wish to advise Ginger Onwusibe and his cohorts to prepare to be trounced again at the polls when the time comes. The time for political thuggery is since over, hence, Onwusibe's reliance on such crude tactics and any political wave for electoral victory can no longer work. We therefore advise him to stop the noise making and settle down to work for the people he managed to swindle to power as he will not be a second time lucky!“ Ndukwe concluded.