Dr. Oby Ezekwesili. |
Some
executive members of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) have countered
the claim of Ganiyu Galadima, the ACPN National Chairman, that Obiageli
Ezekwesili, the party’s former presidential candidate, mismanaged campaign
funds.
The
party had threatened to drag Dr. Ezekwesili to court if she failed to return
all funds donated for the aborted presidential campaign.
In
another twist, some other executive members of the party have debunked the
claim made by the Galadima’s faction, noting that it was the latter and his ilk
that mismanaged campaign funds and not Ezekwesili.
In
a statement signed by Chief Angus Uzoamaka, ACPN National Treasurer, Chief I.K.
Okagbu, the Chairman, South East Zone; Dr. F.U.A. Nwanebu, Assistant Director
General, South East Campaign, on Friday, affirmed that the party indeed
appealed to Ezekwesili to take its presidential ticket.
In
the statement entitled: ‘This ACPN Factional Defection to APC is Malicious and
Fraudulent’, the excos said: “We want the entire Nigerian populace to note as
follows:
That
it took us (ACPN leadership) several weeks to approach and consistently plead
and convince Dr. Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili to enter political race and to contest
this presidency under our party; That we, on several visits, reassured her that
we will never fail to abide and act with due process, transparency, internal
party democracy, integrity devoid of unpatriotism, monetary inducement and
non-clannishness in all dealings for the benefit of a new Nigeria;
That
on October 5th, precisely, in her corporate office, she, (Oby
Ezekwesili), accepted our plea and convictions, but informed us (ACPN)
that she is not a ‘moneybag’, but would rely on our (ACPN) structures, the
Nigerian volunteer populace, donors, and our mutual contacts as a paradigm
shift, to fund the campaign on the Nigerian political land space. She also
told us that we must work with her to build a coalition to push out APC and
PDP.
“It
was immediately after the convention of October 7th, 2018, the National
Chairman, Alhaji Ganiyu Galadima, National Secretary Mr. Paul Alhasan
Isamade, Alhaji Maikasuwa Goroyo, and Alhaji Otumba Bosun, sensing there
would be huge inflow of funds to the coffers of ACPN, took oath of secrecy (as
confessed by one of them – Alhaji Goroyo, in our presence), decided to
frustrate, annihilate, exclude and avoid all other National Working Committee
(NWC), members of the party in most articulate and decisive meetings with
the presidential candidate and her team.
“All
the monies paid into ACPN’s FCMB bank account by Oby Ezekwesili’s campaign
donors, including those paid by candidates for various positions, have never
been accounted for, and has been hijacked by Alhaji Ganiyu Galadima, Paul A.
Isamade, and two others, by their arbitrary and unexplainable withdrawals and
expenditure, without informing the National Treasurer (who is also a third
signatory to the party account), the National Auditor, or the Financial
Secretary.
These
four men resorted to arbitrarily issuing suspension letters to top national
executive members, who they perceive would probe or question these
nefarious activities and hidden agenda, to maliciously truncate the
presidential campaign programme of Dr. Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, including
extortion of money from APC or other willing tools of corrupt alliance to undo
Nigerians.
“Every
effort made for the National Chairman, the National Secretary and the North,
South-West and South-South zones (led by Paul Alhasan Isamade, an Aboh-Kwale
man) to submit names/office addresses and structure of the party for planning,
budgeting and execution, and to enable willing donors see reasons for further
support, were truncated by these four men, now rushing to APC without shame.
“It
was when the presidential candidate and some members of the campaign team
discovered fake proxies from different states and locations were assembled to
an all-inclusive meeting in Abuja, monies already disbursed for
hotels, transport and sundry expenses, that it became necessary for
explanation on how the additional N4.5 million transferred into ACPN
account was expended.
“These
transparency requests from the National Chairman, who doubled as the Vice
Presidential candidate, and refusal to support the demand to build a coalition
had led to this Galadima’s ugly, hide and seek (party buy-and-sell) actions,
which when discovered, we had no option than to support Dr. Oby
Ezekwesili’s decision to withdraw her candidacy, then
possibly help support any possible third force coalition, so as to save
this our beleaguered Nigeria, out of the grip of unpatriotic, clannish
and non entrepreneurial leadership and followership as it exists to date.
“For
ACPN, the four political jobbers, unpatriotic and transaction-filled souls in
control, remain a big regret of political participation, as they have openly
and shamelessly told us, we should never mention the word ‘selfless’ nor
‘national patriotism’ in their presence.”
When
contacted, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili has this to say: See gap in public discourse.
Some
assume Reputation to be same thing as Character so they set out to smear
someone like me. Big mistake. I don’t live for Reputation. It is external and
can be manipulated. I was raised to worry about my Character. It is internal.
It’s me!
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