The All Progressives Congress in Abia State has announced the suspension of its candidate in the recently-conducted governorship election, Ikechi Emenike over alleged misappropriation of 2023 election funds.
The state gubernatorial standard-bearer was suspended alongside an Abia factional chairman of the APC, Mr Kingsley Ononogbu over the misappropriation of some funds.
The suspension of the party chieftain is contained in a press statement signed and issued to newsmen on Wednesday in Umuahia by the State Publicity Secretary of the Party, Offor Okorie.
The Party leadership hinted that Emenike and Ononogbu connived with the outgoing government of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia to frustrate the efforts of dedicated party members in delivering the state to the progressive party during the just concluded general elections.
The Abia APC noted the undemocratic and unwholesome attitudes exhibited by the duo led to the party’s poor outing and woeful failure at the concluded polls held in the state.
The statement read, “The Party hereby refutes the purported suspension of party leaders by Dr Kingsley Ononogbu led factional executive committee on the directive of Ikechi Emenike, it is the statement of a drowning man.
Recall that Alex Otti, an ex-bank chief and the Governorship flagbearer of the Labour Party (LP) in Abia State, emerged as the new Governor-elect of the state and winner of the concluded March 18th 2023, gubernatorial election.
He polled a total of 175, 467 votes cast to beat his closest rival and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Okey Ahiwe, who scored 88,529 votes to come second in the elections.
The flagbearer of the Young Progressive Party(YPP), Enyinnaya Nwafor came a distant third with 28,972 votes while Mr Ikechi Emenike, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC), scored a total of 24,091 votes to gain a third place.
Meanwhile, the Abia State candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Ikechi Emenike has faulted the just-conducted governorship and House of Assembly elections in Abia State.
He claimed that the concluded electoral process by the nation’s electoral commission was marred by mutilation and falsification of election results and harassment of party agents and eligible voters at various polling centres and units during the polls.