By Chinedu Emeruwa Chinedu
The Abia state chapter of the All Progressives Congress on Wednesday, announced the suspension of its candidate in the recently-conducted governorship election in Abia state, Chief Ikechi Emenike, over alleged misappropriation of 2023 election funds.
The state gubernatorial standard-bearer was suspended alongside with Abia factional chairman of the APC, Mr Kingsley Ononogbu over same financial misappropriation.
The announcement of the latest suspension of the maverick party chieftain was contained in a release signed and issued to newsmen on Wednesday in umuahia, by the State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Chief Offor Okorie.
The party leadership hinted that Emenike and Ononogbu connived with the outgoing government of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia to frustrate the efforts of dedicated party men in delivering the state to the progressive party during the just concluded general elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission between February 25 to March 18th, 2023.
The Abia APC noted the undemocratic and unwholesome attitudes exhibited the duo led to the party’s poor outing and woeful failure at the concluded polls held in the state by the Nigerian electoral umpire.
According to the release by state leadership which partly read, “the party hereby refute the purported suspension of party leaders by Dr Kingsley Ononogbu led factional executive committee on the directive of Chief Ikechi Emenike, referring it as a statement of a drawing man.
Recall that Alex Otti, an ex-bank chief and the Governorship flagbearer of the Labour party(LP) in Abia state, emerged the new Governor-elect of the state and winner of the concluded march 18th 2023 gubernatorial election held in the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He polled a total of 175, 467 votes cast to beat his closest rival and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Okey Ahiwe, who scored 88,529 votes to come second position at the concluded elections.
The flag-bearer of Young Progressive Party(YPP), Enyinnaya Nwafor came a distant third with 28,972 votes, while Mr Ikechi Emenike, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC), scored a total of 24,091 votes to place third.
Meanwhile, the Abia state candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Ikechi Emenike has faulted the just-conducted governorship and house of assembly elections in the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He claimed that the concluded electoral process by the nation’s electoral commission was marred by multilation and falsification of election results, and harassment of partu agents and eligible voters at various polling centres and units during the polls in Abia state.
Mr Emenike who was reacting on the outcome of the recently-concluded 2023 state elections conducted by INEC across the 184 local electoral wards of the 17 local government areas in the eastern state.
