Business Day (Nigeria)

I still remain flag bearer of UPC - Abuh

- VICTORIA NNAKAIKE, Lokoja

Following the press briefing organised by some members of the United People’s Congress (UPC) at the NUJ Press Centre in Lokoja, the Standard bearer of the party, Sunday Abuh, has dissociate­d himself from the purported alliance with the All Progressiv­es Congress (APC).

He said that he still remained the candidate and has INEC approval, saying the decision of Moses Damisa was a figment of his imaginatio­n and has no bearing with party’s national headquarte­rs.

Abuh therefore, urged all the party faithful to disregard Damisa action and vote for him in the forthcomin­g election.

“My attention has been drawn to a purported press conference at Nigerian Union of Journalist­s (NUJ) headquarte­rs in Lokoja by one Moses Damisa, chairman of the United People’s Congress (UPC) on Friday, saying that the party has collapsed its structure into the All Progressiv­es Congress (APC) in the next week’s governorsh­ip election in Kogi state.

“In the said press conference, the state party chairman was quoted as instructin­g the members of the party (UPC) to vote for Governor Yahaya Bello, the standard bearer of the APC in respect of November 16 governorsh­ip election,” Abuh said.

“Thirdly, the party chairman was said to have hinged his action on the inability of the candidate of the party, Dr. Sunday Abuh in the next week’s election to carry them along in the scheme of things in the party.

“In as much as I would not like to join issues with him (Damisa), I want the world to know that the enthroneme­nt of UPC, among the parties contesting the coming election in Kogi State was through my efforts, financiall­y and otherwise.

“It beats my imaginatio­n to hear from those whom we brought on board to assist in building the party, to come with such statement at this period of election in which the party is a strong contender,” he further said.

According to him, “By his action, it shows, he is not a mature and consistent leader but a self-seeking one who can easily be bought over by the enemies of the party by deploying sentiments and financial inducement­s to feather the nest of certain interest group.

“I remained the standard bearer of United Progressiv­e Congress, with all my documents and approvals still intact at the Independen­t National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the November 16 Governorsh­ip election.

“I therefore, implored all our members to disregard the purported statement of the state chairman of the UPC, that our great party has collapsed its structure to APC in the next governorsh­ip election in the state.

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