Benjamin Nworie
Ebonyi State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Stanley Okoro-Emegha, has denied the allegation that aspirants were mandated to pay extra N400, 000 for screening.
Briefing journalists in Abakaliki, the chairman explained that it was only N500, 000 that was charged for clearance, stressing that the extra N400,000 as alleged was a ploy to tarnish his hard-earned image.
Okoro-Emeha said: “To my greatest astonishment, the said aspirants were alleging also that they were asked to pay the sum of N900,000 for the state clearances instead of N500, 000. The question should be, ‘how and who made the request since they were shut out of the alleged screening exercise?’ However, we did not mandate any aspirant to pay extra N400, 000.”
He also dismissed the rumour that about 25 aspirants for the state House of Assembly were excluded from screening at the party’s secretariat in Abakakili over the weekend.
The chairman noted that the screening committee is yet to be inaugurated at their National Secretariat in Abuja.
According to him, “Why do some people take pleasure in hitting up the polity for no just reason? I also learnt that the aspirants who purchased their Expression of Interest and nomination forms at Abuja are claiming that they have petitioned the national leadership and other stakeholders of the party to intervene over the most foolish allegation.
“This shows how desperate and confused people can be over nothing. Lawyers will always say: ‘you cannot place something on nothing and expect it to stand’. Let them continue to display their desperation and torment.
“Ebonyi State APC is one, and no individual or group can destroy the party or its victory. From the outset of this administration, I alongside other members of my executive promised to give everyone a voice and this has remained our principle and driving force.
“It also beats my imagination that few individuals will just meet to tarnish someone’s hard earned reputation over nothing. How can they also be laying claims that I made myself incommunicado by not responding to calls or text messages? This is a fallacy because everyone can attest that as the state party chairman, I respond to call at a dial.”
