Chinedum Elekwachi
Member of Anambra state House of Assembly representing Nnewi North constituency, Onyekachukwu Ike has refuted alleged N50million bribe to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of November 8 governorship election.
Ike was among the four lawmakers that recently defected from their parties to the APC.
Speaking with newsmen at his Nnewi North constituency office, the lawmaker dismissed the allegation as falsehood from hell fabricated by persons paid to tarnish the good reputations of the lawmakers.
He insisted that he joined the party on basis of principle, not because of money.
“The report that each of us that joined APC collected N50m before joining the party, is a falsehood fabricated by people, who were paid to tarnish the good reputations of the lawmakers.
“I didn’t collect any kobo to defect to the ruling APC. The allegations that I collected N50million to join the party and support its governorship candidate, is a falsehood from the pit of hell. I joined the party on principle basis.
“I was inundated with calls that I collected N50million from the APC candidate to support his governorship bid. Majority of those flying this rumour are from the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).
Once supporting Soludo
“Everybody knew I was elected into the state assembly under the platform of the Young Progressive Party (YPP).
“When I was elected into the state assembly, nobody knew I was of the YPP, because, I was strongly supporting Governor Soludo, who is of APGA.
“Soludo approached me and requested for my support, and he was ready to offer something in return, but I did not make any personal request.
“I told the governor to build roads in Nnewi. I told him I needed a capital project from the state government.
“When I was supporting the governor and his policies and programmes, people claimed that Soludo gave me N50m to buy my support.
“I challenged those peddling the falsehood to provide evidence, but none of them was able to provide any proof.
N50m allegation again
“Today, I decided to officially join APC to support its governorship candidate, and again, they say I collected N50m to join the party.
“They said that Soludo refused to give me N50m, so, I collected from the APC candidate and joined the party.
“Again, I challenged them to bring evidence, and nobody was able to provide any proof.
“What they did was to call me from behind to tell me that their media handlers did not get clearance from the necessary authorities before publishing that information.
“If I actually collected N50m, the proof would have been there, and those in APGA would have been the first to push it on the social media.
The lawmaker, who is the chairman, Anambra State House of Assembly Committee on Sports and Youths Development also wondered reason behind the sudden query about his scorecard immediately he joined APC.
His words, “Since I was supporting Soludo, nobody from my constituency asked me about my scorecard.
“Now I joined APC, my people are now asking me to present my achievements for the past two years.
“I had continued to do my constituency projects without making any noise, and without posing on a photograph to showcase what I’ve been doing.
Most punctual lawmaker
“I’ve not missed plenary sitting for one day. I was the most punctual lawmaker in the Anambra State House of Assembly as presently constituted.
“The only exception is sometime ago, when I was in Abuja because of a critical political decision I took of recent.
“I’ve spent several millions of naira paying school fees for students in both secondary and tertiary institutions; as well as offsetting hospital bills for hundreds of indigent persons in my constituency.
“There are hundreds of businesses belongings to individual members of my constituency that are surviving today because of our support.
“I was doing all those things because of the kind of support my constituency gave me when I contested for the position.
“Majority of my constituents, including market women, the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, and even people that did not know me contributed several millions of naira for my campaign and election.”
On the prospects of the APC and its candidate in the November 8 election, Ike averred that the APC is capable of winning the election and govern the state credibly, irrespective of whatever bad name they give the party in Anambra and the southeast.
“They’re only giving the party bad name here; but behind the scenes, they’ll be romancing with the party, running to stakeholders of the party for one support and help or the other.
“Tell me any big name in Anambra and southeast that is not in the APC, including Governor Soludo. Soludo is in APC. APGA has no presidential candidate.
“Soludo and his party are supporting Tinubu and APC with everything they have. What then is wrong that I am supporting the APC candidate? All of us are in the APC!
