I Refused Bribe In Favour Of Andy Uba's Victory At The Recent Apc Primary In Anambra State - Chris Ngige
Says It Was Against His Conscience
Nigeria's Minister of Labour and Employment, a former Governor of Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige said on Saturday he was offered bribes to accept the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Anambra, Andy Uba, at the party’s primary election.
Senator Chris Ngige who addressed the party members during a New Year get-together held at his community in Alor, Anambra State, said he rejected the money because it was against his conscience.
The Minister of Labour and Employment insisted that no primary election took place to nominate Uba as the APC flag bearer in the state but some people offered him money to accept that the election went well.
Uba finished behind the eventual winner, Prof. Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Valentine Ozigbor, in the election held on November 6 last year in Anambra.
Ngige said: “13 persons went for the election (primary) and I told them I do not have anointed aspirant. I told them it is God who makes a governor, it is also God who makes a President. I told them to go to the field and convince everyone to vote for them.
“I told them what was going to happen was direct primaries, either by secret ballot or option A4. These aspirants listened to me and used their hard-earned money to run for the election.
“None of them is a thief or stole money, so they used their hard-earned money and we did a primary election and we said everyone would go to their ward, that voting will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
“I even came from Abuja to participate in the process. Somebody of my status could not vote. I didn’t see any electoral materials here in Alor ward one. I am from this place, with no electoral officials or materials except INEC officials. These were the only people who came, our party officials never came.
“By 5:00 p.m., I called Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and told him nothing happened. I told him to postpone the election from Saturday to Monday he said okay, but they ended up announcing the result.
“At the end, they said I should come and take money and say the election held. I, Chris Ngige should come and take money and say an election that I never participated in took place.
“I told them I have all the money I needed, and that I have contested for all the positions I needed to contest for. It is only one position that I have not contested for. We are the founding fathers of this party, these were the same people who stood against us in the early days of APC and called us Boko Haram party.
“Today, they are saying Ngige does not want people to come in and that I am now putting people who are my brothers in position. Do not listen to them, they are lying.”