Ex-Niger Delta militant, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (alias Tomplo) on Wednesday denied media reports claiming he was among five ex-militants planning to endorse President Muhammadu Buhari in Port Harcourt as preferred presidential candidate for February 16 general election.
The Media adviser and consultant to Tompolo, Comrade Paul Bebenimibo in statement made available to our correspondent in Warri called on the general public to ignore the purported online media report stressing that Tompolo was never aware of such endorsement.
“It is not true that Tompolo is part of those who are set to endorse President Buhari in port Harcourt, therefore President Buhari and the general public should disregard the news as it is purely a fake news,” the statement said.
According to statement also, the purported endorsement was said to be coordinated by Ex-Niger Delta militant, Boyloaf, adding that Tompolo had not been in touch with Boyloaf since 2015.
The statement reads in part: “The attention of High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo has been drawn to a press release in the online platform of the Premium Times newspaper, that he is among five ex-militant leaders who are set to endorse President Muhammadu Buhari as preferred candidate of the February 16 presidential election in Port Harcourt.
“Tompolo is not in endorsement politics. Tompolo is presently troubled with the way and manner his kinsmen in Gbaramatu kingdom are been harassed and intimidated by President Muhammadu Buhari military on daily bases.
“This same military harassed, brutalised and killed his father, Chief Thomas Ekpemupolo in 2015, and up till now President Buhari has not made any statement by way of apology to him. And so, what will be the reason for Tompolo to endorse him, to further kill his kinsmen?
“Tompolo has been in agony since 2015 as the present Government is after him for unsubstantiated allegations of corruption.”
