From Magnus Eze, Enugu
Linus Abaa Okorie who was the Ebonyi South senatorial candidate of the Labour Party during the 2023 general election has said that he would re-contest the position in the February 2024 rerun. The former House of Representatives member for Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency, also spoke on how he was allegedly brutalized and imprisoned for contesting the position against former Governor David Umahi of All Progressives Congress (APC).
How was the struggle so far for Ebonyi South senatorial seat and your prospects as the Appeal Court has ruled against your petitions?
Before I proceed, let me put on record my inestimable appreciation and debt of gratitude to you, the excellent people of Ebonyi South, for the unquantifiable support and solidarity before, during and after the 2023 Senatorial Elections.
Recall that on October 16, 2022, the Ebubeagu militia abducted me to their Old Government House, Abakaliki base with a clear intent to kill me.
In their custody, I was tortured, assaulted, dehumanized and stripped naked while being video recorded live for primitive entertainment. They minced no words in revealing that my only offense was daring to challenge Umahi in the then forthcoming 2023 Ebonyi South Senatorial contest.
Upon my rescue from their dungeon half-a-day later, the then Commissioner of Police was pressurized to arraign me before another incapacitated magistrate who threw me into jail for 6 weeks on a trumped-up murder charge, that I only learnt of while on the dock. I am alive and free today because you stood up for me.
While it is practically impossible to list by name all the angels in human form used to secure my freedom and undertake the elections, I must specifically defer to the great and brave people of Onicha Igboeze (men, women, youths at home and abroad) who repeatedly proved themselves warriors and people of impeccable integrity. Indeed, every clan and people stood for me; the state was united as one by my travail; and I am eternally grateful.
I also thank all other champions of my struggle and freedom, whose names I plead not to list here because of the risk of missing out many. You took bullets for me, sacrificed your comfort and relationships. You stood firmly to tell truth to power at grave personal risks and championed the cause beyond the boundaries of the state and the nation. I also extend immeasurable gratitude to the media and also the judiciary.
Then of course, my wife, the super champion of the struggle. I say a special thanks to each and everyone of you. God used you to save my life.
To Umahi and his team of tormentors and promoters, I bear no grudge having long forgiven all. Karma and vengeance, which belong to God, are not mine to serve. This is despite the fact that their torture and brigandage resulted in my permanent loss of my right eye vision.
On February 25, 2023, the Presidential/National Assembly Elections were held across the nation; Ebonyi South inclusive. The people enthusiastically went to the polls to cast their votes based on the many “reformatory provisions” of the 2022 Electoral Act; which had raised hopes of a free, fair and credible elections.
Nigerians, as indeed the whole democratic world, looked up to INEC to deliver on its core mandate. On that score, you trooped out to cast your votes, stood-by for the votes to be counted and went home happy that your votes had counted. You were sure, and it was well known, that you had elected me to represent you.
On Sunday February 26, 2023, how shocked you were to learn that some compromised staff of INEC had sold their soul to the devil and announced a loser, who came a distant third position, as your elected senator. In proof of your disapproval, the district went into a traumatic coma rather than erupting in celebration. Democracy had been raped and your mandate stolen. Across the country, the story was same; a litany of electoral miscarriages. INEC had failed the nation!
In my immediate reaction to that grand electoral heist on February 27, 2023 at the State INEC headquarters, I pledged that your stolen mandate shall be retrieved. To realize that solemn vow, I approached the Election Tribunal to ventilate our collective grievances.
In their desperation to manufacture evidence in defence of our factual complaints before the tribunal, the Mandate-thieves attached a forged INEC BVAS backed report to their reply; in the forlorn hope that we shall not detect their criminal act.
However, we promptly caught them in the act and took steps to verify the document, which INEC promptly denied and confirmed as not being from them; hence, the act of forgery. We also petitioned the IGP to investigate and prosecute them for the forgery (same petition remains alive and pending as time does not run against crime). For this reason, the illegally declared winner panicked and abandoned the seat for an executive appointment.
At that point, our pledge of retrieving your solemn mandate was effectively fulfilled. It also meant that the Tribunal could thereafter take only one of two decisions: reverse the jaundiced electoral manipulation or in the worst case, put the power back in your hands to elect the senator to represent our people.
It is unfortunate that the tribunal and, more recently, the court of appeal chose technicality over substantial justice and dismissed our case and quest for justice.
Whatever influenced or motivated those decision is no longer important. As much as I disagree with the said decision, I accept it being an apostle of the rule of law and democracy.
I am particularly satisfied that I stood the course and fought with grit against the enormous forces and obstacles amassed against me. We stood this election against a sitting governor and with all the naked manipulations, he could only lead with a paltry 2,882 votes!
I have worked with integrity, sacrificing wealth and comfort. I neither compromised nor sold out against the people. My head is held very high!
Having exhausted the judicial window for remedy, the Ebonyi South Election shall now be re-conducted by INEC, with all political parties at liberty to participate. The immediate take away, therefrom, is that unlike most districts, Ebonyi South now has another opportunity to elect her senator; the INEC imposed beneficiary having been forced out of the contest. That alone is a massive victory for democracy.
In February, INEC shall conduct a fresh election in Ebonyi South and the decision as to who becomes the senator shall be yours. The forthcoming election represents our collective victory and opportunity to permanently bury the primitive push for a selfish family dynasty!
Looking back, are there any lessons?
Happily, critical lessons have been learnt by all stakeholders from the February 25, 2023 election and should be collectively applied to improve the electoral outcome this time around. By so doing, the people will ensure that the rightfully elected candidate is declared after the rerun election. My humble appeal is that we remain motivated, active and vigilant to protect the will of the people when the rerun eventually holds.
Let me reiterate also my total lack of desperation in the ongoing political contest. But even at that, I stand strongly that the rerun should centre on justice, equity and fairness. These are cardinal ingredients of democracy. From the current power equation in Ebonyi South zone, it’s just and fair that it’s the turn of Onicha to produce the next senator of the zone.
Whatever position you adopt in the forthcoming rerun, remember that Ebonyi South belongs to all of us, our children and coming generations.
It has never been and should not be allowed to become a family dynasty or the fiefdom of any self-styled political tin-God while other families and their descendants are condemned to eternal slavery and servitude.
Let us be wise and alert to the dangers of acquiescing to the scheming plots of neo-colonialists simply because we are too scared to either confront them or speak out against budding evil.
In a clearer term, do you have ambition to participate in the rerun for the position?
This is not about ambition for me, it has always been a call to serve. So long as I have the backing and support of the people of Ebonyi South, I will continue to push forward with the contest. However, if my ongoing consultations reveal otherwise, I will formally announce my withdrawal from re-contesting.
In summary, the pulse of the people will shape my decision.
If you finally decide to contest, do you still see Labour Party as veritable political party to drive your ambition?
The Labour Movement is an organic structure that is not limited to partisan politics. It is alive and growing the same way my contest is a people’s movement not pigeonholed into any one political party.
My support base, with its root on the CaringHeart family, transcends any one political organization. In effect, it is not as much about the political party I contest on its platform as the wide acceptance our brand and philosophy commands within the senatorial district.
What justifies your agitation that the next senator should come from Onicha local government?
If democracy is about justice and equity where all segments and interests are carefully accommodated for the overall good, then Onicha is the rightful area to produce the next Senator of Ebonyi South.
Between 1999 and 2023, five senators had been produced to represent Ebonyi south. Two, Senators Anyim Pius and Anyim Ude (late) hail from Ivo LGA in OHANIVO Federal Constituency while three; namely Sen. Azu Agboti (Afikpo LGA), Sen. Sonni Ogbuoji and Sen. Mike Ama Nnachi (both from Edda or Afikpo South LGA) in Afikpo North/Afikpo South Federal Constituency.
This arithmetic reveals that Ohaozara and Onicha LGAs have not produced anyone at all. Within the two LGAs, the immediate past governor who is also the current Minister of Works, the SSA to the President, the Secretary, Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) as well as the Federal Commissioner, National Population Commission (NPC), all hail from Ohaozara.
Within the state government structure, Ohaozara also holds several important positions like the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), VC of King David University of Medical Sciences (KDUMS), the CMD David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS); amongst others.
So, by the elementary analysis of equitable accommodation of component areas, Onicha stands heads above shoulders over the other 4 LGAs in the line up for the position.
However, my contest is on the premise of qualification and best fit to represent the district at this point in history. I believe that I am suitably qualified in competence, character and credibility to win the election over any other candidate in a free and fair election.
APC is gathering momentum with defections of key stakeholders across zones, is that not a threat to your ambition?
Political associations are fluid structures and people can always defect to whichever sections they feel comfortable, so long they act within the law. So, I won’t be surprised by any such cross movements.
But importantly, my contest is people-oriented and my support base cross partisan. Accordingly, I have supporters within all political parties and divides in the zone; including the ruling APC. Such persons will vote for me irrespective of whichever party they may belong to.
In effect, I am not threatened by the defection of anyone to or from APC.