-Former Secretary-General clears Dekina PDP candidate of 2014/2015 financial misconduct; threatens legal action against social media publishers.
Hon. Idachaba Siaka John, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship candidate for Dekina Local Government Area, has categorically denied allegations of financial impropriety leveled against him regarding his tenure as a student union leader.
In a formal rejoinder issued in response to a publication titled *“Embezzlement Allegations Haunt Dekina LGA Chairmanship Candidate,”* published on the Facebook platform “KOGI LATEST NEWS UPDATE” on August 22, 2024, the candidate described the claims as “baseless, malicious, and a desperate attempt at character assassination.”
According to Abdul Mohammed Bashiru,Former SUG Secretary-General (2014/2015) Prince Abubakar Audu University (formerly Kogi State University), Anyigba, the social media report had accused Hon. Idachaba of siphoning Students’ Union Government (SUG) project funds during his 2014/2015 tenure as President of the Students’ Union Government at Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba.
Refuting the claims, Comrade Abdul Mohammed Bashiru, who served as the SUG Secretary-General during the same administration, issued a statement exonerating the former president. Bashiru, who was responsible for the union’s official records and correspondence, maintained that there was never any case of missing or misappropriated funds.
“At no point was Hon. Idachaba Siaka John indicted, investigated, or found culpable of embezzlement or any form of financial misconduct during or after our administration,” Bashiru stated.
The rejoinder further criticized the source of the allegation, noting that the publication originated from a non-journalistic online group chat characterized by partisan interests rather than professional reporting standards. It argued that the claims lacked verification and were timed to create unnecessary controversy during the buildup to the Dekina Council polls.
The statement issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the originators and publishers of the defamatory content to retract the publication and tender an unreserved public apology.
“Failure to comply with this demand will leave us with no option than to pursue all available legal remedies against every individual or group connected to the dissemination of this falsehood,” the statement warned.
Hon. Idachaba urged the general public to disregard the report, describing it as a calculated campaign by political detractors to tarnish his reputation and rising political profile.
