Why APGA did not get money from alliance with PDP —Umeh

By Emmanuel Aziken

Immediate past chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Victor Umeh has said, the party did not collect a single kobo to support the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last presidential election, noting that the support was essentially ideological.

Victor Umeh

Speaking against the background of reports that some other political parties including the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and Accord Party, collected N100 million each to support the PDP, Umeh said that nobody collected a kobo on behalf of APGA for the support given the PDP in the last presidential election.

Speaking to newsmen in Lagos, Umeh, the party’s senatorial candidate in the forthcoming Anambra Central re-run election ruled out the participation of the immediate past senator, Uche Ekwunife in the election, noting that she cannot participate in the same election on the platform of two different political parties.

“We didn’t get into that arrangement because of monetary benefit. Not a kobo was given to anybody or APGA. Some people think that APGA, being a robust supporter of President Jonathan more than the SDP and Accord Party, which got N100 million each, then we must have got more, but I am so happy that I didn’t entangle myself in such thing.

“It would have been an opportunity for those who are worried that I am contesting the senatorial election to come and pick me up and dump me at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, cell.”

Affirming the ineligibility of the former senator representing Anambra Central in the forthcoming election, he said: “Having been disqualified through her previous party, crossing over to the All Progressives Congress, APC, would mean that she would be contesting one election on two different platforms if she was allowed to contest.

“This is very absurd and I think that she is wasting her time and therefore, has to get proper legal advice. Whoever advised her that she can jump from PDP to APC and become its candidate and return to the election, has not given her proper advice.
“Assuming that she has that right, the Supreme Court judgment that I explained, has foreclosed that option. There is nothing that can make the APC present her for the election.”