Andy Uba denies allegation of co-plotting infamous abduction of former governor Chris Ngige in 2003

Andy Uba, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the upcoming November 6 Anambra Governorship election has denied an allegation that he was a co-plotter in the infamous kidnapping of a former governor of the state.

At the ongoing Governorship debate organized by Arise News Television holding live on TV Monday afternoon, three candidates of the leading parties – APC, PDD and APGA – who participated out of the 18 in the ballots took questions on the current security crisis in the state.

The debate is being anchored by multiple award winning broadcast duo, Reuben Abati and Ngozi Alaegbu.

Charles Soludo of APGA while responding to the question had subtly accused senator Uba of being one of the pioneers of insecurity in the state saying the abduction of former governor Chris Ngige in 2003 which he (Uba) was part of the plot heralded incidents of political violence and insecurity in the state.

Soludo launched further attacks on the APC candidate saying he did not do anything about insecurity when he was in the Senate for eight years.

Mr Soludo also accused the PDP government of institutionalising kidnapping of politicians in the state.

This unnerved Uba and Valentine Ozigbo now running under the PDP but they were told to hold their thoughts till they have their turns.

When it was his turn to respond, Mr Uba of the APC who was in the PDP at the time denied all the allegations against him. He described himself as a peace lover politicians that has used his position to find solutions to insecurity in the state.

Mr Uba also denied the allegation that he has a hand in the abduction of then PDP governor, Mr Ngige, now an APC member.

“I was not even in the state when it happened. I was with the president (Olusegun Obasanjo) when it happened. I was the one that took the phone to the former vice president Atiku Abubakar who ordered the release of the (then) governor Ngige”, Mr Uba narrated.

On June 10, 2003, governor Chris Ngige was infamously kidnapped from his home by a squad of policemen led by then state’s most senior law enforcement officer.

It was alleged that the abduction was masterminded by Chris Uba, the young brother to Andy. Chris Uba at the time was the political godfather of Ngige who he allegedly struck a deal with at the Okija Shrine to steer bogus state contracts his way if he wins.

READ ALSO: 2 men in court over alleged electrical cable theft

Elected, governor Ngige reneged on this promise hence the plot to kidnap him. The plan was to keep at secluded place and force him to resign but fortunately for him and sadly for the kidnappers, the governor had a phone with which he called vice president Atiku Abubakar with prompting his release.

Surprisingly, even after the governor later regained freedom and went back to office, there were no criminal charges on anybody.

Meanwhile, since Chris Uba was fingered as the mastermind of the abduction, it was not far fetched for Soludo to also point his elder brother, Andy who he is contesting the governorship post of having a hand in it.