A campaign coordinator of the Action Peoples Party (APP) in Ward 5 Finima in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, Samuel Ibigoni John has accused the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) of fraudulently using his picture to suggest he is part of them.

Checks by Kristina Reports indicate that an online media platform, www.thediscovererng.com actually stole the picture from one of Kristina Reports’ publications.

The picture, which was taken by Kristina Reports digital content generation team at the official opening of the Amadabo Palace in Finima on Thursday, January 12, 2023, was used to suggest that the people in the picture were at an event were the vice chairmanship candidate of the NNPP was endorsed by Finima Community as one of its own.

Checks by Kristina Reports indicate that neither did such a meeting hold nor did any member or the leadership of the community endorse the said candidate or any other candidate.  

Samuel Ibigoni John, who said he remains the bonafide campaign leader of the Action People’s Party (APP) in Ward 5 Finima, as well as denied any allegiance to the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).

He vehemently condemned the actions of the NNPP, who he accused of extracting a photograph of him from a non-political function and smuggled it into a publication in a bid to sabotage his image, defame his reputation and cast him as unfaithful to his political party.

He described the action as “a desperate attempt to gain cheap political relevance while discrediting reputable politicians in Finima”, reaffirming his allegiance to the Anengi Barasua Claude-Wilcox’s led Action People’s Party in Bonny LGA, advising the NNPP to pull down their publication immediately and stay away from acts of sabotage.

“This publication is fake, photoshopped, fraudulent and the mother of all lies as the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) Bonny chapter, surreptitiously extracted this photograph from a non-political event in Finima and smuggled it into this article in a desperate attempt to gain cheap political relevance and discredit some innocent politicians in Finima.”

“l dissociate myself from this article and all that it stands for. I also wish to state unequivocally that I am NOT a MEMBER or SUPPORTER of the NNPP and NEVER ATTENDED any such meeting at any time.”

“I UNAPOLOGETICALLY BELONG to the DAME (HON.) ANENGI BARASUA CLAUDE-WILCOX political family of THE ACTION PEOPLES PARTY(APP) and PROUDLY the LEADER/ COORDINATOR of her Campaign Committee in Ward 5 Finima.”

“I strongly advise the NNPP leadership in BONNY to retract this mischievous misrepresentation and desist from this preposterous and very shameful act of smear campaign.”

Kristina Reports has equally reached the purveyors of The Discoverer NG to take down the controversial photo within the next 24 hours or risk legal action by its lawyers.