Nnewi Lawmaker Debunks Claims that 4 Serving Legislators Collected N200m to Join APC

By Mokwugwo Solomon

Member of the Anambra state House of Assembly representing Nnewi North constituency, Hon. Onyekachukwu Augustine Ike, has debunked the rumour making the rounds that he collected a whooping fifty million (N50m) before joining the APC ahead of the November 8 election in the state.

In an interview at his Nnewi North constituency office on Monday, October 6, 2025, the lawmaker claimed that the report that each of the four lawmakers that joined APC collected fifty million naira before joining the party, is a falsehood fabricated by people, who were paid to tarnish the good reputations of the lawmakers. He said that as a person, he joined the party on the basis of principal, not because of money.

“I didn’t collect any kobo to defect to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC). The allegations that I collected fifty million naira to join the party and support its governorahip candidate, is a falsehood from the pit of hell. I joined the party on principle basis,” he clarified.

“I was inundated with calls that I collected N50m from the APC candidate to support his governorship bid. Majority of those flying this rumour are from the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

“They say I was given N50m before joining APC. Everybody knew I was elected into the state assembly under the platform of the Young Progressive Party (YPP). When I was elected into the state assembly, nobody knew I was of the YPP, because, I was strongly supporting Governor Soludo, who is of APGA. Soludo approached me and requested for my support, and he was ready to offer something in return, but I did not make any personal request. I told the governor to build roads in Nnewi. I told him I needed a capital project from the state government.

“When I was supporting the governor and his policies and programmes, people claimed that Soludo gave me N50m to buy my support. I challenged those peddling the falsehood to provide evidence, but none of them was able to provide any proof.

“Today, I decided to officially join APC to support its governorahip candidate, and again, they say I collected N50m to join the party. They said that Soludo refused to give me N50m, so, I collected from the APC candidate and joined the party.

“Again, I challenged them to bring evidence, and nobody was able to provide any proof. What they did was to call me from behind to tell me that their media handlers did not get clearance from the necessary authorities before publishing that information.

“If I actually collected N50m, the proof would have been there, and those in APGA would have been the first to push it on the social media – but they had no proof; just as they didn’t have any proof when they said I collected N50m to support Soludo.”

The lawmaker, who is the chairman, Anambra State House of Assembly Committee on Sports and Youths Development, expressed surprise that since he was supporting Governor Soludo, nobody from his constituency asked him about his scorecard; but now that he joined APC, his people are now asking him to present his achievements for the past two years.

He said, “I had continued to do my constituency projects without making any noise, and without posing on a photograph to showcase what I’ve been doing.

“Unlike other lawmakers, in the past two years, I’ve not missed plenary sitting for one day. I was the most punctual lawmaker in the Anambra State House of Assembly as presently constituted. The only exception is sometime ago, when I was in Abuja because of a critical political decision I took of recent.

“I’ve spent several millions of naira paying school fees for students in both secondary and tertiary institutions; as well as offsetting hospital bills for hundreds of indegent persons in my constituency. There are hundreds of businesses belongings to individual members of my constituency that are surviving today because of our support.”

The lawmaker said he was doing all those things because of the kind of support members of his constituency gave him when he contested for the position he is presently occupying. According to him, majority of members of Nnewi North State Constituency, including market women, the late Senator Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah, and even people that did not know him contributed several millions of naira for his campaign and election.

On the prospects of the APC and its candidate in the November 8 election in Anambra, Hon. Ike averred that the APC is capable of winning the election and govern the state credibly, irrespective of whatever bad name they give the party in Anambra and the southeast.

“They’re only giving the party bad name here; but behind the scenes, they’ll be romancing with the party, running to stakeholders of the party for one support and help or the other. Tell me any big name in Anambra and southeast that is not in the APC, including Governor Charles Soludo. Soludo is in APC. APGA has no presidential candidate. Soludo and his party are supporting Tinubu and APC with everything they have. What then is wrong that I am supporting the APC candidate? All of us are in the APC!

“They had continued to talk about Ukachukwu’s certificate, forgetting that the same person they criticize runs successful business empires. Ukachukwu will run Anambra state successfully and succeed if elected governor,” he said.

The lawmakers also criticized Soludo’s approach to security issues. According to him, during the administration of Governor Willie Obiano, Anambrarians managed to do some ceremonies in Awka and a number of communities in Anambra; but presently, every activity has shifted to Asaba in Delta state.

On the continued incarceration of some native doctors who reportedly give boost to get-rich-quick syndrome among Anambra youths through their activities, Ike said that the governor might be correct in a way, but that the governor’s approach in handling the case of the native doctors is wrong. He argued that there is no direct link between crimes in Anambra state and the activities of the native doctors in question. He averred that criminal activities, including kidnapping, armed robbery and violent crimes continued months after the arrest and detention of the native doctors.

When asked that people would have expected him to continue his support for Governor Soludo, not Ukachukwu, based on their level of education and track records, Hon. Ike said, “Come November 8, I will not vote degree. I will vote the person who I believe will fight insecurity, so that I, my family and the entire Anambra state will sleep with our two eyes closed. It is not all about degrees, but about a governor, who understands governance and how it works.

“In the western world, while selecting their leaders, they look out for technicians and people that have succeeded in their businesses, not professors. How many governors and presidents in the United States are professors?”