The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has denied allegations of sponsoring plot to unseat the Speaker of House Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen.

The minister described the allegation that she was dolling out dollars to a yet to be identified group to launch a media campaign against the speaker as lies sponsored by mischief makers and conflict entrepreneurs who are out to pitch her against the leadership of her party, the All Progressives Congress (APC)

Onyejeocha in a statement by her Chief Press Secretary, Gabriel Emameh, on Monday, said she was too busy to be distracted, describing the allegation as dirty politics taken too far and challenged those making the allegations to come out with proof.

The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, had last week sacked the member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency, Hon Amobi Ogah of the Labour Party.

It subsequently declared the APC, candidate, Onyejeocha, the winner of the February 25 national assembly poll, and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Ogah and issue a fresh one to Onyejeocha.

Onyejeocha, however, said despite her victory at the tribunal, it was ‘unthinkable’ for people to insinuate that she would want to cause leadership crisis at the house of representatives.

The statement said: “Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to one Abidemi Johnson, a yet to be identified lady who claims to be the convener of Coalition of Asiwaju Progressive Woman (CAPW) in which she tagged Onyejeocha, as ungrateful and plotting to cause a leadership crisis in the House of Representatives.

“The so called Abidemi also in the statement alleged that the Honourable Minister dolled out dollar to a yet to be identified group to launch a media campaign for her to unseat the current Speaker of House Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen.

“We want to state clearly that these are pointblank lies sponsored by her political enemies who have no line between darkness and light; morality or absurdity. This is indeed not only laughable but also calls for thorough investigation.

“,So, these baseless allegations did not by anyway come to us as surprise; we have had wind of several plots before hand to launch a media campaign against her, should the judgment at the Tribunal turn out in her favour. That is the scenario being enacted in their desperation to pull her down

“It should be noted that while it is her right, like every other Nigerian, to challenge the outcome of an election she was not satisfied with, as provided by the constitution of the Federal of Nigeria, they should also be reminded that Onyejeocha was already at the Election Petition Tribunal before she was appointed a Minister.

“Would she have abandoned her pursuit to regain what was stolen from the APC as a family for politicians with parochial interests, greed and an unbridled sense of entitlement or for the opposition party?

“For the record, Onyejeocha is currently focused on her national assignments assigned to her by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Ministry of Labour and Employment and also by the leadership of the All Progressive Congress as a co-chairman of the party’s national council for governorship election slated for November. Her loyalty to party is unquestionable.

“To even think alleged that she is plotting to unseat the Speaker is more laughable. Is the Speaker zoned to the South East? The objective of the plotters is to create a false image for the Honourable Minister, thereby heating up the polity. Her only sin is that she was appointed a minister and thereafter won her petition at the tribunal.”
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