Secretary of the All Progressives Congress Caretaker Committee, John Akpanudoehede has denied the purported suspension letter handed over to former governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, saying his signature was forged.
It was widely reported that the National body of the All Progressives Congress, APC, suspended Okorocha over anti-party activities.
The former Imo State governor’s suspension was contained in a letter purportedly signed by APC Caretaker Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni and Secretary, Senator John Akpanudoehede.
Reacting to the letter, Akpanudoehede stressed that his signature on the letter was forged. The APC spokesman maintained that the purported letter was not from the ruling APC.
“The letter is fake. It is not from us (APC). My signature was forged. The signature on that letter is copy and paste,” Akpanuduoehede said.
Meanwhile Okorocha has denied defecting from the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Okorocha accused the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma of blackmailing him with reports of defecting to PDP.
Speaking through his Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemedo, the former Imo State governor vowed never to dump APC due to Uzodinma’s alleged blackmail.
According to Okorocha, the report of his defection to PDP was false.
He claimed that the reconciliation committee set up by APC was responsible for the report by Uzodinma.
The governor also anchored his defection reports to his recent visit to APC’s National Secretariat with those who made the party a stronghold in the state.
A statement by Onwuemeodo reads: “Governor Hope Uzodinma cannot and will not blackmail Senator Rochas Okorocha out of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Governor Uzodinma was behind the fake story of Senator Rochas Okorocha leaving the APC for the PDP, last Monday.
“He had come up with the fake story of Okorocha leaving APC because the National Secretariat of the Party had set up a reconciliation committee.
“And also because of Okorocha’s visit to the National Office of the Party, with men and women who had sacrificed all they had, to make APC the Party to beat in Imo. And with National Assembly members who have the mandate of the people.”
The senator recalled that Uzodinma was never an APC member but joined the party after the Supreme Court’s ruling in the party’s governorship candidate in 2019.