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The Supreme Court has affirmed Ikechi Emenike as Abia governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
A five-member panel led by Tijani Abubakar, yesterday, affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered in December 2022.
The Abia APC had held parallel governorship primaries that produced Uche Ogah and Emenike as candidates.
The judgment by the apex court has sparked jubilations and deep sense of relief among Abia APC faithful, who had been waiting in suspense. Emenike described it as “a very important victory for the good people of Abia State, whose cause we are fighting for in our rescue movement. This is also a very apt vote for the rule of law and human decency.”
Alluding to the plethora of 24 cases filed against him, the APC governorship standard bearer stated that it was noteworthy that the apex court has repeatedly warned senior lawyers to stop filing frivolous cases in courts and to know when to advise their clients to sheathe the sword.
He said even with the unprecedented number of court cases instituted from within and outside Abia APC all challenging his governorship ticket, he was never in doubt about the authenticity of his candidacy which was “a product of due process and rule of law.”
He hailed the Justices of the Supreme Court for affirming his candidacy in line with the four different Appeal Court judgements that had all unanimously returned the same verdict affirming him as the duly elected governorship candidate of APC in Abia.
While congratulating his rival, Ogah for fighting a tortuous battle, Emenike extended a hand of fellowship to the former minister of state for mines and steel development and urged him to bury the hatchet and join hands with him to rescue and develop Abia, declaring that there is no victor, no vanquished.
“For those that really love Abia and care for the wellbeing of the people, this is the time to demonstrate it by joining our movement to rescue and develop Abia (RADA). I bear no grudges or malice against any individual or group that went to court to ventilate their grievances because they acted within their democratic and constitutional rights.
“Even our opponents in rival political parties that went to court seeking to derail our Rescue Movement also acted within their democratic rights”.
While acknowledging the distractions caused by the unprecedented number of court cases filed by opponents and their proxies to nullify his candidacy, Emenike said that he has put all that behind him.
“The most important thing is that truth has triumphed over falsehood, rule of law has triumphed over rule of force and democracy has further strengthened its roots in our nation.
“Our eventual victory is the Lord’s doing and a big impetus towards the successful accomplishment of our avowed mission to rescue and develop Abia State,” he said.
The leadership of Abia APC in a statement by the chairman, Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu, did not only welcome the verdict but also called on the estranged members “to come home” and help actualise the party’s rescue mission.
“The people of Abia are looking up to our party to liberate them from the hands of the perpetrators of bad governance. We can only achieve our avowed mission of RADA if we work together as a united, formidable force. Ndi Abia will not forgive us if we disappoint them in pursuit of personal ambition and group interests in place of the common good of all Abians.
“We must be vigilant because the evil forces holding this State down will not rest on their oars. They will continue to fight in collaboration with their agents. This is their last fight because they know their time is up.
“But with God on our side, the forces of darkness will not triumph over the forces of light ably led by our high flying Governorship Candidate, High Chief Ikechi Emenike. Let’s remain steadfast. We shall overcome, to the glory of God and betterment of Abia, God’s own state.”
