Rising from an emergency National Leadership meeting at its Secretariat in Owerri, which had in attendance, Zonal Coordinators and Coordinators of the 27 Local Government Chapters, the IYM denied endorsing Anyanwu and warned politicians to desist from engaging in criminal impersonation of its group.
In a release signed by its State Coordinator, Engr. Rex Okoro; State Secretary, Hon. Magnus Amadi and State Publicity Secretary, Comr. Chinemerem Nwaimo, the group said the Ihedioha Youth Movement was borne out of the need to champion the rebuilding of the state to save it from criminal tendencies such as sponsors of anti democratic tendencies.
The statement read: “We are an organized group with an established leadership channel. Thus, any form of endorsement coming from us must have our leader’s imprimatur clearly engraved on it, else, it is a caricature and not coming from us! Such a move must be seen as an orchestrated criminal impersonation against us and must be treated as such.
“Again, we make bold to state that Ihedioha Youth Movement has contributed immensely to the growth and development of Imo State via our remarkable partnership with our parent body, The Rebuild Imo Organization as well as the PDP.
“We wish to express utter disgust, following reports of purported endorsement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu, one of the governorship candidates for the November 11, 2023 election in Imo State by a group of impersonators parading as members of IYM.”
It added: “It is important to clearly state without equivocation that IHEDIOHA YOUTH MOVEMENT did not at anytime hold any meeting with Senator Anyanwu at any location whatsoever and NEVER endorsed him.
“Thus, as the Imo State 2023 electioneering is on course, we wish to reiterate that IYM is driven by integrity, capacity and patriotism for the development of the state.”