2023: House Member Faults APC’s Attempt to Substitute His Name

A member of the House of Representatives Committee and House Committee Chair on Climate Change, Chief Sam Onuigbo, has raised the alarm over alleged attempt by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to substitute his name with one Emeka Atuma.

Onuigbo stated this while addressing journalists yesterday in Abuja, following the recent attempts by the ruling party to upload on the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) names of aspirants that did not participate in valid primaries.

He stated categorically that the attempt to supplant genuine winners of party’s primaries was tantamount to political gangsterism.

“We were supposed to hold the primaries on May 28th, which was the date announced by APC national headquarters in the notice for the primary. But, due to some bottlenecks, the chairman of the panel from Abuja, Hon. Izu Okeke, consulted with all of us and resolved, let’s do this tomorrow, so as to overcome the bottlenecks.

“So, by the next day, we had the election and at the end of the day, I won. I defeated my closest opponent, Chief Henry Ikoh, by 157 to 152 votes. That was it. The Electoral Panel submitted their report signed by all five members to the office of the National Organising Secretary.

“They listed those of us who were returned or elected as candidates for the three senatorial zones, namely, Chief Sam Onuigbo for Abia Central, Senator Orji Uzo Kalu, Abia North and Blessing Nwagba Abia for Abia South. The office of the National Organising Secretary received the result and acknowledge it,” Onuigbo stated.