National Chairman of the National Rescue Movement, NRM, Amb. Isaac Chigozie Udeh says he remains the authentic leader of the party.
Ambassador Udeh who stated this while briefing newsmen in Abuja promised not to step down for anybody.
Reacting to a protest embarked by some factional members of the NRM over the non inclusion of their candidate, Dr. Dennis Osaron Aikoriogie in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Edo state, Amb Udeh explained that the constitution allows only a National Chairman of a political party to conduct primaries and pick the party’s flag bearer.
Udeh who stressed that the move for his sack last year October by
the NRM National Executive Council, does not hold water added that the allegations levelled against him were fake and an attack on his person.
According to him, “A 15-page unfounded allegation was written against me. Things that didn’t happen were said of me and after those allegations, they immediately moved for my suspension as the National Chairman of Party”.
“They removed me because of IPAC election. It was supposed to be on the 18th of December last year. So Chinedu Obi, wanted to be the chairman of the party so that he could give a letter to the person representing NRM in IPAC”.
“So when they were playing all those things, it fired back. My suspension was on Monday, 23rd of October, 2023. On the 25th, they went to INEC to say that they have appointed Chinedu Obi as national chairman” he added.
“Chinedu Obi is a National Welfare Officer. If not for desperation, even if you want to remove me, the next person that ought to take over is the deputy national chairman” .
“If the deputy national chairman is not there, it will be the zonal vice chairman from the same zone where the national chairman comes from. And if it’s not the zonal vice chairman, it will be the national secretary and so on”.
“But in this case, it is the least person in the political party that is claiming to be the national chairman, So when the matter came to INEC, they said it was wrong and that the agenda they used was wrong and it contravenes the rules of INEC” Ambassador Udeh notes.
“They also said they didn’t set up a committee to invite me and investigate and present the allegations and make a proper report. They didn’t set up any committee because the allegations were fake and unfounded.”
“I am verifiable on INEC portal. It is only INEC that determines who is the National Chairman of a political party by recognition officially, I will never and cannot step down for anybody in NRM, it is not constitutional for me to step down when there is nothing and there can never be anything, it’s not possible” the embattled chairman stresses.
Ambassador Udeh explained that INEC has taken its decision and there’s nothing that can be done to allow someone who is not the party’s national chairman to conduct primaries.
“I am the national chairman of this party, I don’t know their Candidate Dr. Dennis Osaron Aikoriogie neither does he know me. I have never seen a situation where a governorship candidate does not know who is the national chairman of a party, but he knows those who are deceiving him, the Candidate INEC recognized is Erabor Cosmos”.
Checks on INEC website confirms that Ambassador Isaac Udeh is the National Chairman of NRM.
By Georgina Humphrey, Edited By Grace Namiji
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