The candidate of APC for Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency of Abia in the 2023 general elections, Chief Daniel Chimezie Okeke has taken a swipe at her opponent at the primary election in which he emerged the winner, Mrs. Mary Ikoku for exhibiting needless desperation in the contest.
Okeke who polled 96 out of 110 accredited voters to emerge victorious at the primary election which took place at Rossie Rose hotel in Ohafia last Friday expressed disappointment that one of the opponents he trounced at, Mrs. Ikoku has refused to exhibit sportsmanship and accept the will of a vast majority of the delegates who voted for him.
In a release on Friday, Chief Okeke who spoke through his media assistant, Oti Mmaduabuchi Orieji noted that the pain of electoral loss has pushed the defeated Mrs. Ikoku to throw caution to the winds while embarking on aggressive mission of lies, falsehood and blackmail against him, urging her to accept the people’s wish.
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He said, “It is understandable for a desperate politician to act in such a shameful manner by using lies and blackmail to get back at perceived opponents after losing out but that will not change the fact that Chief Daniel Chimezie Okeke won fairly in the freely conducted primary election and he remains the best man for the job.”
He denied allegation that he connived with top leaders of APC in Abia North to undermine the process which Mrs. Ikoku claimed never took place, adding that he won in a free and fair primary election which met all the stipulated guidelines.
He said,“In the said publication, Mrs Mary Ikoku alleged that the primary election never held. Also that Chief Dr Daniel Chimezie Okeke connived with some high ranking APC members in Abia state to rig the primary election in his favour by changing the venue for the election from OGS Ohafia to Rossie Rose Hotel in Ebem Ohafia and also withholding the electoral materials among other things.
“Ordinarily, the aforementioned allegations would have been ignored but because of the weighty lies and their malicious implication, I will just have to set the record straight.
“First,the venue used for the primary election was the approved venue by the state Secretariat and INEC, same venue was used for senatorial primary election
“Also,the returning officer that was assigned and approved by the state party by name Mr Joe Ezearo conducted the primary election in the presence of INEC, Police and Army with the help of two members of the Local Organizing committee (LOC) sent by the state as against the allegation that one Mr Tony Onyeanula was the assigned Returning Officer but was unable get access to the electoral materials.”
Chief Okeke also noted that that electoral materials were handed over to the duly assigned Returning Officer, accusing Mrs. Ikoku of procuring her own Returning Officer who came to election venue without materials.
“Furthermore, electoral materials were handed over to the right Returning Officer and I wonder why their so called Returning Officer came to the purported election venue without ballot papers and result sheets from the party.
“More interestingly, Mrs Mary Ikoku the sponsor of these lies was present at the primary election, pictures are there to prove it. Delegates were present and voted, only for her to claim that her list of delegates was not approved by the Secretariat,” he added.
He therefore appealed to his teeming supporters not to fall for the cheap lies and blackmail from Mrs. Ikoku but to focus on strengthening their support for him and the party.
