APC campaign: Mandate of reps deputy whip was stolen | We must reclaim it

The directorate of agro and commodities in the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council says the mandate of Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, deputy whip of the house of representatives, was stolen during the general election.

Onyejeocha represents Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency of Abia state in the lower legislative chamber.

The house deputy whip lost her re-election bid to Amaobi Ogah, candidate of the Labour Party (LP).

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Retson Tedheke, secretary of the directorate, said Ogah was not a bonafide member of the LP because “he joined the party on the eve of the election”, which he said was a violation of the law.

“Most outstanding case in view is that of the house of representatives deputy chief whip, Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency,” Tedheke said.

“It’s on record that Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha was the only APC stalwart in Abia state, who openly identified with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and stood on the podium to campaign along with him during the presidential election across the region.

“While Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha has so far approached the court to challenge what members of her constituency have termed robbery hatched against her, we maintain that the leadership of the APC at all levels rise to the occasion to retrieve her mandate and that of many others who contested on the platform but were robbed of their mandates through widespread malpractices, vote suppression and falsification of results as witnessed in the south-east.

“On June 4, 2022, he (Ogah) joined LP and contested the party primaries four days later, June 8. By contesting the primary on June 8, it explains clearly that he was not a member of any political party according to the provisions of the law and electoral act, 2022 (as amended).

“Our prayers therefore, are; the APC should and must make every move to reclaim its stolen mandates, even if it means setting up a committee from the existing presidential campaign council to review what transpired during the elections.”