By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

A coalition of civil society organizations has drawn the battle-line with Senator Nicholas Ukachukwu, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming Anambra governorship election, over an alleged million-dollar shady land deal.

The coalition with over 40 civil society organizations said on Monday that it received a formal petition from aggrieved subscribers against Chupi Company Limited, under the chairmanship of Ukachukwu.

Disclosing this at a press conference in Awka, the Anambra State capital, the group said that the revelation it got from investigation revealed that a number of subscribers paid a total sum of $1,200,000 to Zoe Dew Dawn Nigeria Ltd, a real estate firm that has shown sufficient proof of sending same since 2022 to Chupi Company Limited for the purpose of issuing them estate land.

It added: "Shockingly, three years have passed, yet not a single plot of land has been allocated, nor has their hard-earned money been refunded.

"Despite several efforts to get Sen. Ukachukwu to honor the agreement, he has continued to demonstrate tendencies that left the owners with no option but to go public in order for him to be compelled to pay or release the land.

"This situation is not only a monumental breach of trust but also a direct assault on transparency, accountability, and good governance, values which every public servant and political leader ought to embody.

"The refusal or failure of Sen. Ukachukwu's Chupi Company Limited to fulfill its contractual and moral obligation to its subscribers casts a dark shadow on his integrity and raises serious questions about his fitness to lead Anambra State."

It revealed that the subscribers have issued a seven-day ultimatum to Senator Ukachukwu and Chupi Company Limited to either refund in full the sum of ?1 billion paid by subscribers, or issue the estate lands as agreed.

According to the group, failure to comply with the demands within the stipulated period will leave the subscribers with no other option than to occupy the streets of Anambra in peaceful but resolute protest until justice is served.

While noting that the coalition stands firmly with the subscribers in this struggle, it added, "We will not fold our arms while public trust is brazenly betrayed and citizens are subjected to exploitation.

"We call on relevant regulatory agencies, anti-corruption bodies, and law enforcement agencies to take immediate interest in this case and ensure that justice is delivered without fear or favour.

"The time has come to send a clear message: Nigerians will no longer tolerate leaders who say one thing but do another, who promise transparency but practice deception."

The Coalition further called on Senator Nicholas Ukachukwu to redeem his name and honour by doing the right thing now, which is to refund the money or release the lands. Anything short of this is a slap on integrity and an insult to the people he aspires to govern.

It said that it will also present petitions before the Anambra State Chapter of APC, the National Secretariat of APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Commissioner of Police Anambra State Command, the Inspector General of Police, and Director General of DSS.

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