By CHARLES IWUOHA

Ebonyi State Governor, Engr David Umahi, has denied allegations levelled against him by the former Commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr Paul Okorie, that old members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state were sidelined since the Governor defected to the party.

In a statement issued by on Thursday his spokesman, Francis Nwaze, the Governor noted it was possible that the former Commissioner chose to sideline himself from government and party activities in the state.

Umahi said: “There is no iota of truth in the claim that members of the old APC are sidelined in the scheme of things; rather, there is a possibility of sidelining by self.”

“Usually, during the convocation of Government or Party programmes and activities, members and stakeholders are always widely invited, including via the medium of Radio, Television, Print, and Social Media.”

“Invitations to Meetings and other activities of the Party in the State are normally publicized with cardinal emphasis on “former Commissioners who are still members of APC” and so on.”

The Governor added that since he defected to the APC, no old member could be said to be sidelined when some of them were strategically integrated in his government.

“The old APC members in the State cannot be said to be sidelined when some of them are strategically integrated into the running of the business of the State.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the former State Chairman of the Party, Pastor Eze Nwachukwu.” Eze, who is the Commissioner for Inter-Governmental Affairs, Dr. Sunday Nwangele, Commissioner for Education, and a host of others, are members of the old APC, Umahi explained.

He further called on the general public to disregard the allegation of sidelining old APC members in the State as that only exists in the imagination of the person making such claims.