The Action Alliance Party has said one Major General Lincoln Ogunewe is not its candidate in the November governorship election in Imo State.
This comes after Ogunewe was reported as the standard bearer of the party in the media last week; a report that the leadership of the party has debunked.
The chairman of the party in the state, Comrade Ifeanyi Eze, in a statement on Sunday, disclosed that Ogunewe’s emergence was fraudulent and not endorsed by the party.
While restating that Chief Ukadike Humphrey remained the candidate of the party, Eze called on the general public to ignore the ‘rumour’.
The statement read; “As you could recall, on 11th November, 2022, a Court of Appeal sitting in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, affirmed Hon. Dr. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje as the authentic and Only National Chairman of Action Alliance, against one Kenneth Udeze who has been parading himself as the NationalChairman of Action Alliance.”
“Also in preparation for the forthcoming governorship election in the state and in line with stipulated guidelines, Action Alliance conducted its governorship primary election in Imo State on April 17, 2023, which was the last day set by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for conduct of party primaries for the election.”
“The primary produced Chief Ukadike Chinedu Humphrey as the party’s governorship candidate. It is however worrisome and highly embarrassing that the said Kenneth Udeze who was expelled from the party, has continued to parade himself as the National Chairman of Action Alliance, and has gone as far as trying to deceive members of the public by ridiculously presenting the Rtd. Gen. Lincoln Ogunewe as governorship candidate of the party.”
“This is a clear disregard to the subsisting Court of Appeal judgement which affirmed Hon. Dr. Adekunle Rufai Omo-Aje as the authentic National Chairman of Action Alliance.”
“The fact that INEC has retained on its website, the name ‘Kenneth Udeze, as the National Chairman of Action Alliance, is an indication that the National Chairman of the electoral umpire, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has deliberately decided to operate in contempt to the Court of Appeal judgement.”
“We will, therefore, not hesitate to press Contempt of Court charges against both Kenneth Udeze and Prof. Mahmood Yakubu if they do not retrace their steps.”
“We reaffirm that Chief Ukadike Chinedu Humphrey is the sole governorship Candidate of the Action Alliance for the governorship election in Imo State, scheduled for November 11, 2023. We equally use this opportunity to urge Imolites to disregard activities of these impostors.”