Emeka Uwakolam, the governorship candidate of Accord Party (AP), in the just concluded election in Abia State, has advised candidates of the All Progressives Congress(APC) Uche Ogah, and that of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA), Alex Otti, to withdraw their petitions challenging the victory of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, in the March 9 gubernatorial election conducted in the state.
Uwakolam, who spoke during a press conference in Umuahia, the state capital on Wednesday, pointed out that election litigation had continued to hinder and slow down the economic development of Abia, adding that it would be in the best interest of the state for the duo to withdraw their petitions at the tribunal, to enable the governor bring democratic dividends to the doorstep of Abia people.
Recall that we had reported that Governor Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was declared winner of the 2019 gubernatorial election in Abia State.
Ikpeazu polled a total vote of 261,127 to defeat Uche Ogah of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.
Ogah and Otti had since approached the Election Petition Tribunal in Umuahia, asking it to nullify the reelection of Ikpeazu as governor, on the ground that the exercise was marred by irregularities, ranging from over voting, snatching of ballot boxes and sheets, and inflation of results.
His words, “The fact is that when i was campaigning, i told the public that i am very passionate about the development of Abia. And i still maintained my earlier position that, the nation’s electoral process is flopped. The opposition candidates that are in tribunal have every right to approach the tribunal to seek for justice, because of the flopped electoral process that produced Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu as governor.
“But nevertheless, I’m saying that in the interest of Abia and its development, that the continued litigation would be a distraction that will end up in causing Abia to be less developed, just like the one we witnessed in the previous elections. In every electoral process, one person will emerge as winner. And there will be only one governor in the state.
“And now, this electoral process irrespective of its inadequacies, has produced a governor. I’m calling on all Abians who are passionate, to support the governor, in order to bring dividends of democracy to the people. Let not be excuse of litigations from Governor Ikpeazu. Now, If they continue in court, what it means is that, the governor would be distracted. He will sit down and be looking how to retain his seat, and then, what suffers is the development of Abia.
“The litigation would not do us any good, because, it will end up spending huge amount of money that is meant for the development of Abia. So, i am calling on the litigants to please, in the interest of Abia people, not just because of the governor, to sheathe their sword, to enable the government engender greater development of the state”.
