2023: APC reacts to Umahi’s N5 million fine

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State has reacted to the fine imposed on the party in the state for violating Governor Dave Umahi’s executive order on political campaigns.

The State Commissioner of Information, Uchenna Orji, had in a statement on Sunday, said Mr Umahi ordered the APC in the state to pay a fine of N5 million for the violation.

The governor, a member of the APC, had, in November, signed Executive Order III into law, which prohibits political parties from using public places for political activities without seeking and obtaining clearance from the state government.

Public places referred to in the order are schools, parks, and markets, among others.

The order also prohibits political parties from pasting campaign posters on “critical infrastructures” in the state without obtaining clearance from the government.

Mr Orji, a lawyer, said although the Peoples Democratic Party, the Labour Party and the All Progressives Grand Alliance also violated the order, the governor has forgiven them and then punished the APC to set an example and serve as a deterrent to others.

Reacting to the sanction by the governor, the Chairman of the APC in the state, Stanley Okoro-Emegha, said the party would pay the fine given that the sanction was backed up by a law in the state.

“If the state government has said that the APC violated the law through indecent pasting of posters, then there is nothing we can do other than to pay whatever fine that is accrued. The law cuts across parties,” he told PREMIUM TIMES, Monday.

Asked if he was disturbed that the governor pardoned other political parties that violated the order, Mr Okoro-Emegha said the governor has the authority to forgive.

“If he (Umahi) has decided to punish his own, it’s leadership by example. Charity begins at home, as they said,” he stated.

The APC chairman, however, said the party would need to see where the posters were pasted and determine that they were pasted in violation of the order.

He further said the party would sanction the candidates whose posters were pasted in violation of the order in the state.

“The (affected) candidates will suffer the punishment too,” he added.