News Break: Edeoga speaks on ‘Mandate Recovery Project’, says donations optional
Juliet Aniebonam
The Labour Party guber candidate in the March 18 governorship election in Enugu State, Chijioke Edeoga has taken a swipe at his critics over the forum created two weeks after the declaration of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Peter Mbah as the winner of the election.
Edeoga, yesterday, in a telephone interview with Nijatrends correspondent, Ifeyinwa Nnajeze said that the forum whose name is ‘Edeoga Mandate Recovery Project’ was never his brainchild but the ideas of some well-meaning citizens of the state residing in diaspora, and most of which are from Nsukka cultural zone.
According to him, the Mandate Recovery Project is not under his watch but under the control of former Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General, Nnia Nwodo, maintaining that whatever donation that has been made is never mandatory but optional, asking why the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party will capitalize on that mission of mandate recovery to say that I have been defrauding people of their hard-earned money.
”The Edeoga Mandate Recovery Project was never my brainchild but that of Enugu’s well-meaning citizens, especially those living in diaspora. Most of its sponsors are from Nsukka cultural zone and have been willfully doing this without any compulsion. You know the cost of litigation in Nigeria is high and we are hellbent on recovering our mandate, that is why you see people contributing immensely to the project because they want a new crop of leaders in Enugu State,” the guber candidate said.
The guber candidate also reacted to the news making the round where he was said to have solicited funds from the Nsukka Traders Association in pursuit of his case at the tribunal. According to him, the association supported him very well during the build-up to the election and equally expressed their willingness to support him in this move for mandate recovery. He maintained that the chairman of the association Comrade Christian Ezeja has on his own donated his building in Ogurute, Enugu-Ezike in Igbo-Eze North local government for the Labour Party, stating that more support is still coming from both Nsukka politicians, businessmen and other citizens of the state from other zones.
”The reason our Party did exceedingly well in Nsukka cultural zone was that the traders and artisans were in total support of my candidacy. Many donated their cars, money and buildings just to make sure that the ministry is growing. The same people are also contributing tremendously in support of our mandate recovery. Every day people pay a large amount of money just for this purpose, so we are now financially prepared for the legal fireworks. Please, let me reiterate that Edeoga Mandate Recovery Project calls for voluntary donation and not by compulsion, ” Edeoga assured.
