By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
A former presidential aspirant, under the All Progressives Congress in the 2023 elections, Tein Jack-Rich has denied allegations of bribery for a ministerial appointment levelled against him by those he described as political detractors.
Condemning those who roped him into the alleged misdemeanour, the APC scribe claimed the allegations were politically motivated to tarnish his hard-earned image.
Jackson Ude, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, had in a tweet claimed that Jack-Rich bribed Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to Tinubu, with a staggering sum of N500 million to secure a ministerial position.
However, in a statement, the APC Chieftain dismissed the claims as baseless and fabricated, describing the report linked to a former presidential aide as distasteful and grossly unsubstantiated.
The one-time presidential aspirant expressed disbelief that some persons could be bold enough to smear another’s reputation to score cheap political gains.
His words, “it has come to my attention and that of the family of a provocative, malicious, preposterous, unwarranted, distasteful, and unsubstantiated publication by politically sponsored agents within the past few days.
“Wherein, they are making several spurious allegations against the person and family of Jack-Rich, with the sole aim and intention of maligning my name and reputation.
“It is equally sad that this is with the aim of gaining cheap political relevance within the emerging political space.
“On behalf of the family, we wish to state unequivocally clear and with all sense of responsibility that the entirety of the allegations are not only unfounded and childish but depict the nature and character of the persons and evil elements behind them; who are also well known by their political brigandage and desperation for political relevance”.
Recall that Jack-Rich, an oil magnate contested the presidential primaries under the APC and lost to the incumbent President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
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