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Ahmed Gulak: I was offered $2 million to manipulate Imo APC guber primary
Ahmed Gulak says he was offered bribe to manipulate the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Imo.
The APC chieftain was the chairman of the panel that oversaw the exercise.
Gulak, a former adviser to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, says an unnamed person offered him $2 million and a private jet flight to Imo state before the primaries began.
The party’s national working committee endorsed Hope Uzodimma, senator representing Imo west, as its governorship flag bearer, a decision Rochas Okorocha, governor of the state, is kicking against.
Okorocha maintains that Uche Nwosu, his son-in-law, is the authentic winner of the primary.
In an interview, Gulak told of how he was nearly “kidnapped” alongside members of the panel when they arrived Imo.
“…Even before I went to Imo state, I was offered a private jet to take me to Imo state but I refused because I didn’t want to be compromised,” he was quoted as saying.
“I refused the private jet and even the tempting offer made to me, very tempting, we are talking about two million dollars here, which I refused.
“Although, I tried to persuade them that I was going to do what is needful, free and fair primaries. Every stakeholder must be involved.
“Immediately we landed at the airport, that was where the problem started. They wanted to kidnap every member and only God knows where they wanted to take us to, which I refused.”
Gulak also alleged that the governor forced members of the electoral panel to declare Nwosu winner of the primary.
Nwosu had been announced winner before the party’s national working committee cancelled the exercise.
According to Gulak, “after the collation, few others and myself escaped from where we would have been conscripted. The governor himself came to take everybody in the hotel but before he arrived, about four of us escaped and he moved other members including the secretary.
“He took them to government house and they read a prepared speech declaring his son in-law the winner of that exercise. But I had already left Owerri for Abuja where I submitted my result”.
The outcome of the primary election is still being contested in court.