The South East Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has observed a recent baseless media campaign against its regional leader and Imo State Governor, His Excellency Senator Hope Uzodimma, especially since he indicated his interest to heed the call of his constituents to return to the Senate and represent them. It is important to note that Senator Hope Uzodimma, like every other eligible citizen, is constitutionally qualified to contest a senatorial election. While every Nigerian has the right of opinion, that should not be a justification to blackmail a citizen who is exercising his constitutional right.
It has also been brought to our attention that SaharaReporters and some other media outlets made a publication that alleged that the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), an association of governors elected on the platform of our great party, the All Progressives Congress, has been pushed into crises following a disagreement on some funds purportedly contributed through the PGF for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. While we cannot speak for the PGF, we cannot tolerate any agenda aimed at blackmailing a man who has contributed immensely to the growth of our great party, especially when such agenda is clearly based on falsehood. We therefore reject the misleading and baseless allegations published by SaharaReporters and some other media outlets, which falsely claim that Governor Hope Uzodimma diverted funds purportedly contributed through the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election campaign.
These claims are not only factually incorrect but logically untenable. For the avoidance of doubt, no formal campaign fund for the President’s re-election has been established, as the electioneering period is yet to commence. With the legal restriction on political campaigns still in force until around September, it is practically impossible to divert or misappropriate resources for an exercise that has neither started nor reached any stage requiring funding. One cannot credibly accuse any individual of pocketing money meant for a project that is yet to be activated.
It is equally important to state that the Progressive Governors’ Forum is not a campaign organization and has never functioned as one. Any financial contributions or donations intended for the President’s re-election would be directed to the official Presidential Campaign Organisation, not domiciled in the PGF account. The suggestion that such funds were moved through the Forum demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding, or deliberate misrepresentation, of how political campaign financing operates in Nigeria.
The arithmetic presented in the report further exposes its absurdity. The claimed ₦800 billion, when divided among the 31 members of the PGF, implies that each governor contributed approximately ₦26 billion. This figure is not only unrealistic but laughable. No governor, regardless of political affiliation, would commit such a colossal sum to a national campaign while simultaneously prosecuting re-election or other critical state-level political activities, especially at a time when resources are needed for developmental projects across their respective states.
Presidential fundraising in Nigeria, as in all mature democracies, is conducted through transparent, open, and well publicised events after party nominations have been concluded. It is never done in secrecy, nor would any single individual, including the Chairman of the PGF, act as sole signatory to such funds. These established norms make the entire narrative untenable.
Governor Hope Uzodimma, CON, has consistently maintained an enviable record of transparency and accountability throughout his public service career. Beyond poorly fabricated stories such as this, his name has never been credibly linked to any act of financial impropriety or corruption. This latest attempt to tarnish his reputation is clearly part of a desperate, coordinated effort by opposition elements and their media collaborators to discredit prominent leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC). It is instructive that this so-called exposé has been largely ignored by responsible and mainstream media organisations, which evidently recognise its lack of substance.
We urge those behind this campaign of calumny to redirect their energy and resources towards offering Nigerians credible policy alternatives, innovative programmes, and tangible solutions to the nation’s challenges, rather than wasting time and effort on fictitious propaganda. Nigerians are sophisticated enough to distinguish between genuine governance and cheap political fiction.
His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma, CON, remains unwavering in his commitment to delivering good governance, sustainable development, and improved welfare for the people of Imo State. He will not be distracted by such baseless distractions.
Signed:
Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu
National Vice-Chairman (South-East)
All Progressives Congress
