Alleged N1.7bn Fraud: Party Chieftain Drags Enugu APC Chair, Agballah, Guber Candidate to Court

Gideon Arinze in Enugu

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Enugu State, Mr. Adolphus Ude, has dragged the Enugu State Chairman of the party, Mr. Ugochukwu Agballah and its Governorship Candidate, Mr. Uche Nnaji, before the Enugu State High Court over allegations of N1.7 billion fraud.

Recall that Ude led aggrieved members of the party in Enugu State on a protest over financial misappropriation against Agballah and Nnaji at the national headquarters of the APC in Abuja.

In the suit, which has the APC, Agballah and Nnaji as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants, Ude, who is the leader of Concerned Enugu APC Members, alleged that the Enugu State chapter of the party realised the sum of N786 million from the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms, which the defendants were yet to account for.

He also alleged that while the party realised an additional $1,351,000 from consultations and logistics from presidential aspirants, Agballah and Nnaji refused to account for the monies despite agitations and protests by members of the party in the state.

He alleged that “since the 3rd defendant (Nnaji) was nominated as the (governorship) candidate of the party, he has connived with the 2nd defendant (Agballah) to misappropriate the funds of the party and run the affairs of the party with impunity.”

He further alleged that Agballah and Nnaji misappropriated the $1.5million given to the APC, Enugu State, as delegates’ allowances and have failed to pay the money to the delegates.

Consequently, Ude asked the court to direct Agballah and Nnaji to “render and publish a detailed account of the amount realised by the APC in Enugu State from the issuance and purchase of expression of interest and nomination forms by governorship aspirants of the party in Enugu.

He is also pressing for an order of court directing Agballah and Nnaji to publish a detailed account of the use and proof of disbursement of the sum of $1.5million released by the 1st defendant, APC for the payment of allowances of the 1st defendant’s delegates from Enugu State to the national convention and presidential primary election of the 1st defendant.