PORT HARCOURT— Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State has denied rumours that he sponsored the All Progressives Congress, APC, with N17 billion, saying that Rivers State cannot fund the party.

He also said that the accusation lacks basis and should be disregarded by the public.

Governor Amaechi, who spoke, yesterday, at the flag off campaign for Dakuku Peterside, the governorship candidate of the APC in the 2015 elections at the Liberation Stadium in the state, said: “APC is a big party that is also fast growing. As a big party, it is capable of sponsoring itself to any height.”

He said that the money that Rivers State has was for the state and has never been used to sponsor APC as a party, adding that Prince Tonye Princewill, the governorship aspirant of Labour Party, who is accusing him should prove the private account that was used to pay the money to APC.

The governor, who expressed disappointed with the accusation credited to Mr Princewill, said that graduates of the University of Port Harcourt do not make baseless accusations that cannot be proved.

Amaechi said: “I am saying it clearly that Rivers State cannot fund APC. APC is a big party that can sponsor itself. Tonye Princewill should tell the people the private account that I opened and paid the money into.

“I said they should call all UNIPORT graduates for a meeting because Tonye is also a graduate of the institution. He should reason like a graduate of that great institution, because a UNIPORT graduate cannot make a false accusation without bringing any evidence.

“He is my friend and brother, I will not deny him. He has a right to his ambition, so today he is in another party and the election is between us and them and we believe we will win.”