Posted by By Our Reporter on
The government of Abia State has repudiated claims by the campaign organisation of Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, (CARE-Campaign for Abia rebirth), standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the last governorship election, that it set aside a whopping N1.3 billion in a failed attempt to bribe judges of the election petition tribunal.
The government of Abia State has repudiated claims by the campaign organisation of Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, (CARE-Campaign for Abia rebirth), standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the last governorship election, that it set aside a whopping N1.3 billion in a failed attempt to bribe judges of the election petition tribunal.
In a statement, issued in Umuahia last night, and signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Ukoha Kalu, the government decried what it called 'this cheap resort to blackmail and mischief," and urged Ugochukwu to refrain from bringing the judiciary to disrepute.
The statement explained that it was inconceivable to think that a government that has never received a monthly federal allocation exceeding N2.1 billion, since inception, would set aside such princely sum for bribery. It described the allegation as 'hollow and laughable," and urged Ugochukwu to get serious with life.
Restating the genuine profound intention of the government to appeal the judgment of the tribunal, it urged them not to be jittery 'as you are expected to be comfortable with your victory at the tribunal."
The statement further expressed misgivings over their claims that the government has engaged the media on wholesale bribery with the same amount, describing it as an 'affront and a slap on the face of the media."
On their claims that the Abia government had mandated all the local governments in the state to set aside N100 million each for the legal battle ahead, the statement said the allegation was a good proof of Ugochukwu's ignorance on the workings of government, arguing that they used the same ploy to claim that they had an injunction restraining the government from conducting local government elections.
It challenged them to produce evidence of the court injunction to show members of the public.
'How much do local governments get monthly? They don't have the faintest idea of the workings of government and they aspire to rule. They are good at producing stimulated home videos and should rather concentrate on that, instead of engaging in futile and unsubstantiated allegations," the statement concluded.