An alleged viral list of 197 prominent party members recruited for the Edo governorship campaign council by the ruling All Progressives Congress, which included the late Ifeanyi Ubah, a former lawmaker from Anambra, has been labelled as fake.
The controversy surrounding the Edo APC campaign for the September 21 governorship election arose three weeks after Ubah’s passing was announced.
Ubah, who transitioned on July 27 in London, United Kingdom at the age of 52, was initially included in the campaign list released by the ruling APC on July 31 by its National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Muhammad Argungu, sparking reactions from Nigerians.
Several critics of the ruling party and some publications (excluding PUNCH) seized the opportunity to criticize what they perceived as a gaffe, drawing parallels with similar mistakes made by the previous administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari during appointment announcements.
The revised list for the APC campaign featured the reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo, Philip Shaibu, with Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu appointed as the chairman.
Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda and former Edo Governor Adams Oshiomhole were also named as co-chairman and deputy chairman, respectively.
Other notable members included Senator Ovie Omo-Agege (Assistant Secretary), Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo, Ogun Governor Dapo Abiodun, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and other APC-affiliated governors.
In response to the situation, the ruling party dismissed it as a deliberate ploy by online critics to discredit the party.
In an exclusive conversation, the National Publicity Director of the APC, Bala Ibrahim, conveyed that using the name or image of a deceased person in an outdated document in such a manner was disrespectful.
He remarked, “The document being circulated is not the official updated version from the party. The party has already updated the list. You can verify this by visiting our official sites and social media handles.
“Ifeanyi Ubah was an active member of the party. It was not surprising that he was initially on the list.
“However, mischievous individuals choose to cling to an old document, particularly in the age of social media mischief, to mock the party and show disrespect to the deceased individual who should be allowed to rest. It is not only absurd but also disrespectful.”
Investigations by our reporter uncovered disparities between the circulating controversial document and the actual list released on the official APC platform three weeks earlier.
While the viral list prominently featured ‘Senator Ifeanyi Ubah’ at the 23rd spot on the finance committee led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the version on the official website indicated ‘Senator Sani Musa.’