The Director of Communications and Spokesman for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Organisation in Enugu State, Nana Ogbodo, said, yesterday, that most office seekers resort to campaign of calumny due to lack of verifiable campaign blueprint and ideas.

He told The Guardian that some opposition candidates running for the Enugu governorship office in 2023 are not immune from the ugly development, stressing that most of them do not have campaign manifestos, and so, have resorted to mudslinging in place of campaigns.

Ogbodo, who condemned what he called deliberate attempt by some opposition parties in the state to engage in slandering the PDP’s governorship candidate, said such characters are doing so for lack of ideas on how best to advance their campaigns, and win hearts of the electorate.

Reacting to a trending video in the state, which levelled allegations against its governorship candidate, Peter Mbah, Ogbodo said those involved in the malicious campaigns and character assassination should be arrested by law enforcement agencies.

He said that purveyors of the fake news do not recognise the fact that Enugu State Governor, Ifeaanyi Ugwuanyi, had enthroned an enabling environment, characterised by restraint even in the face of brazen provocation.

He said it is unfortunate that misguided members of the society have continually hidden under anonymity of the social media world to peddle falsehood and malicious content.

“In the last few months, especially since the beginning of campaigns for the forthcoming elections, those who ought to have known better have sought to disparage civility in the state, and drag the hard-earned reputation of Enugu’s sons and daughters to the mud of public disgrace.

“Lately, the state has been inundated with malicious jingles, as well as other content conceived to malign Mbah. Despite disingenuous attempt to mask the identity of the purveyors, it is not difficult to deduce the source of these slanderous messages.”