The immediate past governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has denied the allegation levelled against him by Ahmed Gulak that he (Okorocha) offered him $2m bribe when he came to Imo State in 2018 to organise the All Progressives Congress governorship primary.
Okorocha in a statement on Monday by his media aide, Sam Onwuemeodo, said the allegation by Gulak one year ago was “shameless”.
Okorocha contended that Gulak should have been in jail by now following his role in the primary election which ended up producing two governorship candidates.
The statement said, “This same Ahmed Gulak had claimed at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, October 2, 2018, that he absconded from his room 701, at Rockview Hotel Owerri by 4.oo a.m. that day because, agents of the former governor had wanted to kidnap him. He ran away leaving other members of the committee behind.
“And that was the day the primary should have held after he had announced that, Monday, October 1, 2018, being the actual date for the primary was no more feasible because he arrived Owerri by 2.00 p.m., met with stakeholders by 8.00 p.m. at police headquarters Owerri. The meeting lasted till 11:35 p.m.
“And he went on to call on the then governor with his team at 11:58 p.m. The courtesy call lingered till 1:00 a.m. They went back to their hotel, only for him to abscond by 4:00 a.m., by his own account. And that was the genesis of Imo APC problem. So, at what point was the bribe given?.
“At his press conference too, he declared someone winner of a primary he never conducted and the person happens to be Hope Uzodinma.
“The rest of the team led by the committee’s Secretary, Barr. Henry Idahagbon stayed behind and conducted the primary which Uche Nwosu won. After that, the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, disbanded the Gulak committee having heard and known the disgraceful script he (Gulak) had acted in Owerri.
“Why was his committee disbanded? However, at the end of the day, the party leadership settled for Uzodinma, prompting Nwosu to settle for the ticket of Action Alliance.
“Okorocha does not offer a bribe and those who know him, would attest to that.”
The Punch
