House of Assembly aspirants under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State have threatened to sue the party if they are disqualified from contesting in the state primary election.
This is as the aspirants alleged plots by the screening committee to disqualify them from participating in the forthcoming primary election of the party.
Speaking during a press conference in Abakaliki on Saturday, the group alleged that the Chairman of the House of Assembly Screening Committee in the state, Mr Ideato Ideato, had told them shortly after the screening exercise in Abakaliki that they were not cleared on the ground that they did not pay party dues.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Mr Chukwu Orji, from Ivo Constituency, accused Mr Ideato Ideato to be working for Governor David Umahi to destroy APC in Ebonyi.
Orji alleged that Umahi is secretly working for the opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to see ensure the defeat of APC.
The aspirants vowed to sue the party if they are disqualified from contesting the primary election.
“The Chairman of the Screening Committee, one Ideato Ideato, had shortly after our screening in Abakaliki, sent private text messages to 27 of us, saying that we were not cleared because we didn’t pay party dues.
“We wish to state that we duly paid our party dues and receipts issued to us by the party and we are with the receipts
“There is no reason to disqualify us from contesting the election. We are aware that the Governor already had 24 aspirants he wants to impose on the party but he should allow us to contest and fail if he thinks that his preferred aspirants are more popular than us.
“We call on the National Chairman of the party to intervene and ensure that the right thing is done because we have a strong conviction that Governor Umahi is working with PDP against APC victory ahead of 2023.
“If the party allows Ideato Ideato and Governor David Umahi to screen is out of the contest unduly, we shall be left with no option than to seek redress in court.
“We state unequivocally that we shall challenge our disqualification should the committee be allowed to go ahead to disqualify us,” Orji said.
