Chieftain Denies Claim APC Disowned Buhari's Former Minister in Abuja Court
- An ally of the former minister of mines and steel, Uche Ogah, has described as fake news reports that the latter was denied by the All Progressives Congress
- Offor Okorie described the report as a dexterous work of paid mischief makers used against the former minister
- According to Okorie, contrary to the report, the party never disowned the former minister as claimed
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Abia state - Reports that a former minister of mines as steel, Uche Ogah, has been disowned by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress have been debunked by a chieftain of the party.
Offor Okorie in a statement sent to Legit.ng said the news circulating that the ruling party has disowned Ogah as its governorship candidate in Abia state is false.
Source: Facebook
Channels Television had reported that the APC told the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, October 12, that the party did not conduct the primary which purportedly produced Ogah as the governorship candidate for the state ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The report claimed that the APC had also told the court that its national working committee conducted a primary election monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which produced Ikechi Emenike as its official governorship flag bearer.
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The party's counsel, Sam Eruogo, further asked the court to dismiss Ogah as the APC's Abia guber candidate.
Ogah's ally reacts
However, in the statement sent on Thursday, October 13, Okorie said contrary to the report, the party never disowned the former minister as claimed.
His words:
"We wish to bring to the notice of the general public that the above news circulating on social media is fake and is the dexterous work of paid mischief makers.
"APC has never disowned or disassociated itself from the former minister of state for mines and steel development Dr Uchechukwu Ogah as the Governorship candidate of APC in Abia state."
Okorie said that Ogah was only in the court to seek solutions to the issues that erupted within the party during its primaries.
He said:
Dr Uche is in Court to right the wrong that arose in the last Governorship primaries in Abia State, in which he was legally elected through direct primaries as approved by the National working committee of the Party and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission, is the legitimate governorship candidate of the party in Abia state.
In the Federal Court that sat today in Abuja, the application by Chief Ikechi Emenike's faction to withdraw the case from Abuja to Umuahia, and for the judge to step aside from the case all failed. Both lawyers argued on the case and the judgment to determine the flag bearer is on 11/11/2022."
Weeks after resignation, Buhari's ex-minister wins governorship ticket
The former minister of mines and steel development, Uche Ogah, did not lose on both sides after resigning from his office.
Ogah on Friday, May 27, was declared the winner of the Abia APC governorship primary election.
Of the total 195,801 votes, cast Ogah polled 141,952 and was announced the winner by the returning officer, Perfect Okorie.
Buhari's minister speaks on plans to defect from APC to APGA
The minister of state for mines and steel development, Dr Uche Ogah, said he has no plan to dump the ruling APC.
Ogah was reacting to the claim by an APGA chieftain that a serving minister from Abia state was set to join the opposition party.
The minister expressed optimism that the APC will take over the southeastern state from the opposition PDP in 2023.
Source: Legit.ng
