Ahiazu- Ezinihitte APC Reps Candidature: Anyanwuocha dispels rumours of settlement with ₦100m
…Says ‘I fought for my mandate until party decided against me’
Maureen Aguta
Barrister Chukwudi Anyanwuocha, the elected All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate of the Ahiazu- Ezinihitte Federal Constituency whose name on the party’s register was recently substituted with the name of Rt Hon Nnanna Igbokwe by the party’s hierarchy, has denied any form of financial inducement from any quarter to relinquish the ticket to Hon Igbokwe.
He said in a statement made available to Advocacy Times that there is no truth in the rumour around the constituency that he was paid the sum of ₦100 million to give up the mandate willingly given to him by party faithful in the Ahiazu-Ezinihitte Federal Constituency.
Barrister Anyanwuocha, further disclosed that he never attended any meeting in Abuja brokered by any government functionary over his candidacy.
While thanking the constituents for believing in him by giving him the mandate to serve them, he stated that he is not the kind of person that could be bought or intimidated.
The statement reads in part: “My attention has been drawn to an anonymous publication circulating on social media, in which my name features prominently in a story of alleged payments, secret Abuja meetings, and instructions purportedly handed down to me.
“Ordinarily, faceless publications of this nature do not deserve a response. But because this one touches my integrity, my family name, and the good people of Mpam and Ekwerazu, Ahiazu and Ezinihitte who stood by me, I have chosen to respond personally, and strictly in respect of the allegations made against me. I do not speak for any other person named in that publication. I am not speaking through intermediaries either. These are my own words, and I take full responsibility for every one of them.
“First, on the alleged one hundred million naira. I did not receive one hundred million naira, or any sum of money whatsoever, from Hon. Nnanna Igbokwe or from anyone acting on his behalf. I did not attend any meeting in Abuja brokered by any government functionary concerning my candidacy. I was not promised, and have not been offered, any political appointment in exchange for anything. These claims are pure invention. The publication concedes as much by attributing everything to unnamed “sources” while offering no date, no venue, no witness, and no evidence of any kind. Accusations are not proof, and character assassination is not journalism.
“Let me also say this plainly. I am not a man who can be bought, intimidated, or compromised. I have spent my adult life building a legal career, businesses, and a reputation for integrity that I hold dearer than any office. One hundred million naira is not the kind of amount that excites me, and no amount of money could purchase my conscience or the mandate freely given to me by my people. To suggest that I would trade my principles for money is not only false, it is an insult to everything I have consistently stood for.
“Second, on my dealings with Rt. Hon. Nnanna Igbokwe. For the avoidance of doubt, the only personal interaction I have ever had with Rt. Hon. Igbokwe leading up to the APC primaries and after, took place at Government House, Owerri, at a meeting convened by His Excellency, the Governor of Imo State, before the party primaries, where we exchanged pleasantries and nothing more. Beyond that, we have been present at various party leadership meetings in Owerri, as would be expected of party leaders of the same party. There has never been any private meeting, any negotiation, or any transaction between us.
“Third, on the meeting I hosted at Umuaju. The publication claims that Rt. Hon. Igbokwe and the APC LGA Party Chairman attended a meeting I convened, “to supervise and ensure compliance with Abuja directives.” This is false in every particular. The meeting held at my country home in Umuaju, Mpam on 5 July 2026 was convened by me, for the leaders, supporters, and members of my own political movement. Neither Rt. Hon. Igbokwe nor the LGA Party Chairman was invited, and neither attended. The meeting was public, attended by prominent leaders and stakeholders from across the constituency, and a full press statement of its proceedings was issued. Anyone who was present, and hundreds were, can attest to what was said and who was in attendance.
“Fourth, on the suggestion that I was “settled” into silence. Nothing could be further from the truth. When the substitution of my name as the party’s candidate arose, I did not fold my arms. I protested. I made formal representations at every level of the party’s leadership in defence of the mandate given to me by the people. It was only after the party arrived at it’s decision that I, as a disciplined party man, gathered my team and supporters, acknowledged our pain openly, and appealed for peace, restraint, and unity. That is not the conduct of a man who was bought. It is the conduct of a man who fought honourably, and who refuses to allow his personal disappointment to set his community on fire.
“Fifth, on the insult of “political neophyte.” I am a proud son of Umuaju, Mpam, Ekwerazu, in Ahiazu Mbaise. I contested the party’s primary openly across the entire Ahiazu/Ezinihitte Federal Constituency and built a movement genuinely made by the people. My reputation was built over many years of principled work, and it will not be destroyed by baseless rumours designed to mislead the public. Those who describe me as a stranger to Ahiazu politics should ask themselves why an anonymous writer felt the need to attack a supposed “neophyte” with such energy.
“Finally, I reject, in the strongest terms, the attempt to weaponise this fabrication to set brother against brother in Mbaise. Ekwerazu, Ahiara, and Ezinihitte are one family, and no anonymous pamphlet will be allowed to poison that bond. The people of Ahiazu and Ezinihitte are discerning enough to distinguish genuine leadership from desperate smear campaigns.
“They deserve politics built on issues, vision, and service, not fabricated stories intended to inflame emotions and divide communities. My message remains the same message I delivered at Umuaju: dignity, maturity, loyalty to the party, and unity in our constituency.
“As a legal practitioner of many years’ standing, I am fully aware of my rights in the face of defamation. Let it be clearly understood that these rights extend not only to the authors and sponsors of this publication, but equally to those who reproduce, forward, or otherwise distribute it. Everyone who shares defamatory content assumes legal responsibility for it. All options remain open, and I challenge those behind this publication, if they have any evidence for their claims, to come out from behind anonymity and present it,” Barrister Anyanwuocha stated in the statement he personally signed.
He further thanked people of Ahiazu/Ezinihitte for their continued trust. Saying he remains committed to serving them with dignity, transparency, and unwavering integrity. “No amount of blackmail or propaganda will diminish the honour earned through years of principled service, and I urge everyone to disregard this publication in its entirety,” he concluded.