Chair of APC's Imo State electoral committee said he was offered $2m to rig primaries

CHAIRMAN of the All progressives Congress (APC) Imo State Governorship Primary Committee Alhaji Ahmed Gulak has revealed that he was offered flights in a private jet and $2m to rig the elections in favour of a certain candidate.

Over the last month, the Imo State chapter of the APC had been torn apart over who to select as its gubernatorial candidate out of Uche Nwosu and Senator Uzodinma. After the cancellation of two rounds of primaries, the APC's national working committee finally submitted Senator Uzodinma's name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec).

Alhaji Gulak had been the chairman of the original committee sent to Owerri to conduct the primaries that led to both camps claiming victory. After voting, Alhaji Gulak flew to Abuja to announce Senator Udozinma as the winner but the remaining members of his committee claimed that Mr Nwosu had won the primary.

Despite the APC finally deciding on Senator Uzodinma, the matter has refused to go away as Governor Rochas Okorocha who backed Mr Nwosu, his son-in-law, is yet to sheath his sword. Stoking the fire further, Alhaji Gulak has revealed that he rejected to be flown on a private jet and $2m as bribe to rig the primaries.

He added that even though the offer was so tempting, he rejected it in order to do the right thing and he was happy because the party had vindicated him by insisting on the outcome of the primaries his panel held. According to Alhaji Gulak, he had to persuade the parties that he was going to do the needful and conduct a free and fair primary.

Alhaji Gulak said: "Naturally, even before I went to Imo State, I was offered a private jet to take me there but I refused because I didn’t want to be compromised. I refused the private jet and even the tempting offer made to me, very tempting, we are talking about $2m here, which I refused.

"I tried to persuade them that I was going to do what is needful, free and fair primaries and every stakeholder must be involved. Immediately we landed at the airport, that was where the problem started as they wanted to kidnap every member of my committee and only God knows where they wanted to take us to, which I refused.

"And to say the least, I pity the Imo people but they have to take their destiny in their own hands and elect who they feel will represent them well. I am not from Imo state but I am a Nigerian.

”There is equality and there is equity. Some of our governors, I am sorry to say this, they take state resources as their personal resources and we know that power is transient and after four or eight years you are out of power and the system will get you."