The Abia State Commissioner for Information, John Okiyi Kalu, has taken a swipe at the All Progressives Congress(APC), over its claim that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu was sponsoring a factional governorship candidate in the State, in the person of Chief Ikechi Emenike to destabilize the opposition party ahead of the March 2019 gubernatorial election.
Kalu, however, distanced the state government from the internal crisis bedevilling the opposition APC in the state.
Recall that DAILY POST had on Tuesday, reported that the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Comrade Adams Oshimohole had claimed that Chief Ikechi Emenike, was being sponsored by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to cause confusion in the party, thereby weakening the chances of APC in the forthcoming 2019 general elections in the state.
The Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee(NWC) recognized Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah who emerged the gubernatorial flag bearer through a direct primary election held last year in Umuahia, the state capital.
Reacting in an interview with journalists in Umuahia, on Thursday, the Commissioner said, “APC can say anything. This is a campaign period. If we have money to fund anybody, we will use that money to fund development projects in Abia state.
” We have no direct and indirect relationship with Chief Ikechi Emenike or even any other opposition candidates in Abia state. The fact is that, when people who cannot put their houses in order, they begin to blame outsiders.
“We have no hand in funding Emenike. We do not even have any resources to fund anybody to destabilize APC. You would have noticed the nexus between the statement concerning the Rivers state crisis. They were blaming Governor Wike. Today, APC have come to realize that their problems were largely internal.
Kalu continued, “When you are about to fail, you find reasons. And those reasons you will find out will be the ones that will make the greatest sense to you. Ikechi Emenike is simply based on what I have seen in the media, asking to be recognized as the valid governorship candidate, what has that got to do with us?
“Are there now saying that Emenike can no longer fund his campaign? We know the capacities of all of them in APC. He’s (Emenike) being in that party long before they joined.
“So, we have no hand in their crisis. If they(APC) present Ikechi Emenike, we will defeat him, if they present Uche Ogah, we will defeat him, if you present Oshomhole, we will defeat him. That is our business. That is our interest”.
He added, ” Others are also saying we are funding Chikwe Udensi in APGA. Meanwhile, They forgot the nexus of the case involving Udensi, that predated the current electoral round. Udensi case was there since 2014. They said we are funding it.
“Where do we have money to fund all these things. We want to fund development projects. We want to fund more road projects. We want to fund more electricity project, and not to fund political failure.
“Whoever they place in front of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu as their candidate, we will beat that person hands down”.
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