- Safiu Kehinde
The All Progressive Congress’ (APC) members in the House of Representatives denied being forced to donate money in support of Monday Okpebholo’s governorship ambition in Edo.
This was disclosed by the Deputy Spokesperson, House of Reps, Philip Agbese, in his reaction to a media publication accusing them of being forced into donating to the campaign fund.
According to reports, the publication had alleged that N1m was deducted from each APC lawmakers’ allowances without their consent, in support of Okpebholo and his then running mate, Dennis Idahosa.
However, Agbese.said that the lawmakers donated freely to the campaign funds of the governor-elect.
He stressed that the decision to support Okpebholo and Idahosa was voluntarily taken at a meeting attended by the APC lawmakers.
“The newspaper report is not correct. The Senate had taken a decision to support the then governorship candidate, now governor-elect, Sen. 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.
“Nobody was compelled to give, contrary to the report. The speaker was not even at the meeting.
“So, the claim that he (speaker) unilaterally ordered deductions from lawmakers’ allowances without their knowledge is way off the mark,” he said.
According to him, if indeed the lawmakers were not happy or were forced to give, they would have protested the moment it was first reported that APC House caucus was making a donation to the campaign funds.
“The collective resolve of the House majority caucus to support the cause was what led to the emergence of a chairman who headed the fund raising committee.
“We had a quorum at the meeting and the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, emerged the Chairman of the Fund Raising Committee.
“I have gone this far to let Nigerians know that everything was done with orderliness,” he added.
Meanwhile, Agbese charged newsmen to always be sure of their facts before publication, adding that journalism, at all times, must be separated from speculations.