BY ABUCHI IFESINACHI, AWKA
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), National Assembly Appeal Committee led by Chief Tony Awka has cleared Prince Nicholas Chukwujekwu Ukachukwu with emphasis that he was more than eligible to contest the Party’s Primaries for the Senate in Anambra South Senatorial district which processes begin on November 25.
It will be recalled that Ukachukwu, a former People ‘s Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant in the November 16th 2013 governorship election in Anambra State recently defected to APGA.
The committee in clearing him said it found the reasons advanced by screening committee for not clearing the aspirant were not within the existing laws of the country, APGA constitution and guidelines.
The Party’s National Assembly screening committee chaired by Alh. Tayo Sowunmi had on Friday last week disqualified Ukachukwu who bought the Party’s Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms on the grounds that he is likely to defect to another party if elected as a Senator, and he had charge, PHC/CR/8/2010 instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which is pending at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
But Ukachukwu had petitioned to the Party’s Appeal Panel saying he was aware that the EFCC charged the former Governor of Nassarawa State, Senator Adamu Abdullahi to Court and joined as a party his company as one of the contractors that handled a project for the State, adding that he had not testified in the matter.
Besides, the Court he said had not found anything against him, stressing that it was therefore correct as he filled in his expression of Interest and Nomination Forms that he had not been tried of any criminal offence.