The former Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory and member Board of Trustee of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, Senator John Akpan Udoedehe has refuted the lingering speculation that he had received N2 billion from Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu, chieftain of the party and former governor of Lagos State, to aid his 2011 gubernatorial election.
Senator Udoedehe, who represented Uyo Senatorial District in the Senate, 1999-2003, described the allegation as mere lies fabricated by mischief makers, whose stock in trade is to engage on smear campaign aimed at scoring cheap gains against perceived political rivals.
The political juggernaut cleared the air on the simmering issue while speaking exclusively with Crystal Express in his Uyo residence recently.
The former minister, who attributed the allegation against him to people who are afraid of his ever rising political profile in the state, explained that there was no such financial support from any quarter before, during and after the 2011 governorship election.
He frowned at mischief makers who went about peddling the rumors for the purpose of smearing his hard earned image over issue of money involving him and Bola Tinubu, adding that there is no bank in Akwa Ibom State that has the vault to contain N2billion.
“Somebody said, Bola Tinubu gave me N2billion. An average person who does not know what N2billion is, will think that it is something one can carry in his portmanteau. There is no vault in Akwa Ibom State that can take N2billion.”
The Senator reasoned that, based on financial regulations practiced in Nigeria; before such volume of money like N2billion is transferred from one bank to another, the transaction must be subjected to necessary financial security enquiry.
According to him, it was rather unthinkable for anyone to imagine that he was given such huge amount of money for the purpose of backing his 2011 governorship election.
He wondered why some individuals will resort to blackmailing him on issues that they lack accurate information, noting that as a grassroots politician with firm belief in good governance and human capital development, he will not be deterred by such frivolous allegations, urging well-meaning individuals in the state and beyond as well as his supporters to disregard such insinuation.
