Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki
The governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last primary election in Ebonyi State, Dr Adol Awam, has said that he is planning to slam a N100 million suit on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) in the state for publishing his name as the latter’s senatorial candidate.
He said that he arrived from his trip abroad only to be informed that his name had been published as a senatorial candidate of the party for Ebonyi North senatorial zone. He said that the action had punctured his reputation and portrayed him as a double-faced person.
Awam, while briefing the press at his residence in Abakaliki, the state capital, said that he had remained a committed member of the APC and had never at any time approached the PDM or any other political party.
“It is not only embarrassing, buy they are ridiculing my personality. My people and supporters have been very worried about the development. They wondered how I could join another party without telling them. Even if I should leave APC, I should leave APC and join PDP where I came from and not to PDM or any other political party.
“This has caused me a number of damages. One, it will make people begin to look at me as a double-standard person. It took me years to build my image. When I left the PDP, they made all efforts to bring me back but I said no.
“Because of these damages, my lawyer will demand that an apology should be published in the national dailies. We will be demanding N100 million as compensation for damages,” he said.
Meanwhile, a staff of INEC in the state who did not want his name in print as he was not authorised to speak on the matter said that the publication could be an error from the national headquarters of the commission. He said that the state office has no powers other than to paste the list for the public to view.