Former Member of the House of Representatives and Senatorial candidate in Anambra North, Tony Nwoye may have found himself in troubled waters after key documents revealed what led to his problems with wealthy Anambra billionaire and his major sponsor, Arthur Eze.
Details from the documents seen by Gatekeepers News detailed how the Labour Party’s Anambra North Senatorial candidate allegedly stole $2.1m belonging to Eze in past elections. Eze, who owns Oranto Oil, according to the document had backed Nwoye financially for about a decade and their relationship only broke down when he publicly accused the former National Assembly member of stealing from him.
The document dated June 17th, 2021 read in part;
“Please Sir Basil Ejidike confronted me with series of allegations of criminality you leveled against me before many persons. Also many people that went to your house had also confronted me with similar allegations, but the most disturbing one is from Basil Ejidike.”
In his bid to become governor in 2013, Eze, according to documents obtained by this newspaper gave Nwoye $2.1m which he allegedly diverted for other purposes.
In one of Nwoye’s revelations in the documents, it was shown that he is also battling another allegation of the diversion of $1m owned by Eze. The document claimed that Eze had released the money as someone demanded the money in the name of Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai but he soon discovered it was false. The billionaire however found that Nwoye may have had a hand in how he lost the money and has since given him the cold treatment as a result.
It was also mentioned that Nwoye collected $500,000 and N83m from Goodluck Jonathan’s Police Aide and Eze respectively on the eve of the 2013 governorship election in Anambra. Gatekeepers News found from the documents a history of vote-buying schemes long played in Anambra politics and one in which Nwoye is an active player.
Ahead of the 2017 election, Gatekeepers News further gathered from the documents that Eze gave Nwoye N120m to support his bid to buy votes. A further N772m was also collected by Nwoye to buy votes before the 2017 governorship election which he eventually lost.
Further revealed in the documents was Nwoye’s attempts to see the good face of his godfather again, but he was sent away by a named Arinze and Nwafor like a criminal. This underlined the breakdown in the relationship of both men as a result of the allegations of theft.
The oil billionaire also accused Nwoye of colluding with his nephews Eze Olisa and Onyeka Eze to steal from him.
Eze, one of Africa’s richest men and big power player in Anambra’s politics has twice supported Nwoye’s ambition to become governor in 2013 and 2017 and failed on both attempts. The documents, however, reveal a part of Anambra money politics that has long denied the state proper development and also leaves the two-time governorship candidate with heavy allegations dangling over his head and political ambition ahead of 2023.
Recall that Gatekeepers News reported in November that the EFCC had nabbed Nwoye over alleged embezzlement of public funds. The lawmaker was also disqualified from the party’s Senatorial race by the PDP’s Panel in May for forcing the hands of ad-hoc delegates of the party.
