Leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State has denied the claim that the winner of the recently conducted Imo North senatorial district primary,Frank Ibezim, left the party before the general election was concluded.
Chairmen of the party, in both the local government and Ikpe-Nsu ward levels respectively, Vice Agu and Chika Agbaghara, affirmed that Ibezim was duly registered at the ward level and in right standing in the party.
One of the contestants, Chidinma Uwajumogu, had alleged at the weekend that Ibezim defected to the Accord Party in 2019.
But, Ibezim’s ward Chairman, Agbaghara reiterated that he never, at any time, received any notice of resignation from the candidate.
“His name is in our register; he actively worked with the party to deliver President Muhammadu Buhari, the APC governorship, senatorial, and House of Assembly candidates in the 2019 general election both at the ward and local government levels.
“Ibezim was a key ally of the late Ben Uwajumogu, and played significant roles in restoring the senator’s stolen mandate,” he said.
The party leaders described the claims by some members, including Uwajumogu, as baseless and total ignorance of the rules governing political parties’ operations.
They also tackled Ifeanyi Ararume, one of the claimants to the senatorial ticket, warning him not to take the party’s benevolence for granted, had abandoned the APC to fly the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) flag in the 2019 governorship election.
