The National Vice-Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, South-East, Mr Teddy Obe, has dismissed allegations by the party’s House of Representatives candidate for Ideato North and South Federal Constituency, Imo State, Mr Ceejay Ezebuiro, that the party’s national leaders threatened his life and demanded money from him to retain his ticket.
Obe described the allegations as serious and unfounded, urging Ezebuiro to provide concrete evidence to substantiate his claims, particularly the allegation that party officials demanded N150 million from him or plotted to eliminate him.
He said the allegation was not only a serious accusation against individuals named in the report but also one capable of damaging the reputation of the party and its leadership.
This was contained in a statement on Sunday, signed by him and made available to PUNCH online, ABNTV reports.
Obe specifically denied demanding any money from Ezebuiro, either personally or on behalf of the NDC, and challenged him to produce evidence of any alleged payment, including the purported transaction into a private account.
He said the allegation that he and other party leaders threatened Ezebuiro’s life was completely false, stressing that no disagreement over a party ticket should be presented as a threat to anyone’s life without verifiable evidence.
The NDC South-East vice-chairman also rejected the claim that he participated in any plan to force Ezebuiro to surrender his ticket to another aspirant.
According to him, party primaries and disputes arising from them are governed by the party’s internal procedures and the applicable electoral laws, adding that no individual has the authority to unilaterally transfer a ticket already legitimately won by a candidate.
Obe further challenged Ezebuiro to make public evidence of the alleged meeting where he claimed that party leaders demanded money from him, including the date, venue, names of all those present and documentary evidence of the alleged financial transactions.
He said the claim that $10 million was allegedly paid in cash was particularly weighty and should be supported by verifiable evidence rather than media statements, urging him to retract the statement within 14 days or face legal action.
Obe said, “I completely reject the allegations attributed to me. I have never threatened Ceejay Ezebuiro’s life, demanded money from him, or asked him to surrender any ticket to anybody.
“If he has evidence that I demanded money from him or participated in any alleged plot against his life, he should present it to the appropriate authorities and to the public. These are very serious allegations and should not be made without evidence.
“He should rather retract the statement within 14 days or face legal action. I also challenge him to produce evidence of the alleged payment into any private account and identify the account holder. If such a payment was made, there should be a transaction trail.”
He added that the party leadership remained committed to resolving legitimate disputes through established internal mechanisms and the courts where necessary.
