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Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has said there was no time he bought and submitted two nomination and expression of interest forms of the All Progressives Party (APC) simultaneously.
He made the clarification on Monday in reaction to the controversy trailing his senatorial aspiration following his loss at the party’s presidential primary election in May.
“The business of a political party is the business of a political party; you can have 20 or 30 forms,” said Governor Umahi who did not deny he contested the primary for the APC presidential ticket during his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
“When the primary had ended, the matter was closed. I now came on June 9 and bought a form to contest (the senatorial ticket); I was never holding two forms of a political party at the same time.”
The governor was among several others who picked the presidential nomination and expression of interest forms of the APC sold at N100 million.
Among others who also pick the forms were the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio.
Following the victory of a chieftain of the party, Bola Tinubu, in the primary, reports emerged that Governor Umahi had purchased the APC nomination and expression of interest forms for the Ebonyi South senatorial election.
Amid controversy that the Electoral Act does not allow for the purchase of such forms at the same time, he stressed that the presidential primary had concluded way before he joined the senatorial race.
“The APC presidential election ended on May 7 and by then, there were no more aspirants,” the governor said. “The time to appeal the decision of that convention had passed and so, the presidential (primary) election had been concluded.
“30 days (later), the candidate of the party withdrew … I bought my form on June 9; so, there was no time I had two forms at the same time.”
