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The All Progressives Congress lawmakers in the House of Representatives donated freely to the campaign funds of Edo State Governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, the deputy spokesman of the House, Mr Philip Agbese has said.
This is just as he insisted that no lawmaker in the Green Chamber elected on the platform of the ruling party was coerced to part with money in support of Okpebholo’s governorship ambition.
Agbese stated this on Monday in a telephone interview with our correspondent while reacting to a publication.
The report stated that the sum of N1m was deducted from APC lawmakers’ allowances without their consent in support of Okpebholo and his then-running mate, Dennis Idahosa, a member of the House of Representatives.
Recall that the House supported the APC Edo governorship ticket with the sum of N200m as the party won the election, garnering more valid votes than the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party.
Speaking with our correspondent on Monday, Agbese said the decision to support Okpebholo and Idahosa was voluntarily taken at a meeting attended by APC lawmakers.
“The report is not correct. The Senate had decided to support the then governorship candidate, now Governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo. We also deem it fit to support the ticket because the then running mate and now deputy governor-elect, Hon Dennis Idahosa is one of us, a member of the House of Representatives.
“Nobody was compelled to give contrary to the report. The Speaker was not even at the meeting. So, the claim that he unilaterally ordered deductions from lawmakers’ allowances without their knowledge is way off the mark.
“If indeed lawmakers were not happy or were forced to give, they would have protested the moment it was first reported that the APC House caucus was donating to the campaign funds. Why now?”
According to him, the collective resolve of the House majority caucus to “Support the cause,” was what led to the emergence of a Chairman who headed the fundraising committee.
“We had a quorum at the meeting and the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu emerged as the Chairman of the Fund Raising Committee. I have gone this far to let Nigerians know that everything was done orderly,” he added.
Agbese therefore called on journalists to be sure of their facts before publication, adding that journalism “At all times, must be separated from speculations.”
