The Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie on Thursday denied her membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) before the Senate Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Onochie who was part of the nominees grilled by the upper chamber of the National Assembly as the Federal Commissioner to represent the South-South Zone of Nigeria by President Buhari denied being a member of any political party in Nigeria.
While justifying her claims, Onochie told the committee that she stopped being a member of the ruling party immediately after the 2019 elections.
She, however, admitted swearing to an oath at an Abuja Federal High Court that she was a member of the APC.
When quizzed further by former Deputy Senate President, Dr Ike Ekweremadu; Senator Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West) and Senator Itsifanus Gyang (Plateau South); Onochie admitted she discontinued her membership of APC in 2019 and she did not partake in the revalidation of membership of the party held early 2021.
She said, “Like I said, as from 2019, after President Muhammad Buhari was reelected, my duties in politics ended and it stopped. And all my concern thereafter was to support Mr President”.
Speaking further, She could not refute the affidavit she sworn to at a Federal High Court, after she returned from the United Kingdom, where she affirmed that she was an APC member and a member of the Buhari Support Group.
The content dated June 30, 2021, sworn affidavit states as follows:
In the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in the Abuja Judicial Division Holden at Abuja, between Lauretta Onochie Plaintiff and Emeka Ugwuonye-Defendant
PLAINTIFF’S WITNESS STATEMENT ON OATH
