A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-East, Chief Eze Chukwumeka Eze, has called on Chief Sunny Ogbu Orji, People’s Democratic Party Chieftains and their co-detractors within the All Progressives Congress to allow Gov. Umahi concentrate on the business of delivering democratic dividends to the people of Ebonyi State.
Eze who made the call while reacting to the dismissal of a suit seeking to nullify the election of Engr. David Nweze Umahi, the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State and Chairman of South East Governors Forum over his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), emphasized that the judgement has laid to rest all negative speculations and allayed the fears perpetuated during the pendency of the suit around the social media
He said the decision is in order as it is gleaned from the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which allows citizens the right to political association as is obtainable in democratic clones world over.
He pointed out that there exists a litany of established precedents on the subject of the status of a President, Vice President, Governor, Deputy Governor or other elected public office holders who leave the political organization on which they ran election to join another political platform.
Eze commended the court for staying true to its core which has constantly remained to do justice, noting that the suit during its pendency almost worked as a perpetual killjoy for Ebonyians and especially Nigerians who believe in the competence of Umahi to continue to beam the light that APC represents.
With the judgement, Eze said Gov. Umahi has toppled all obstacles on his path to the next level of leadership and called on the good people of Ebonyi State to continue to rally round the Governor as he continues to provide quality service for the state.
Congratulating the Governor for the victory, Chief Eze said Ebonyians and all lovers of democracy in Nigeria are the real winners as the judgement has doubled the confidence of many that the country is on the verge of a national rebirth.
Recall that the suit lodged in a High Court siting in Enonyi State was instituted at the instance of the 2019 Governorship Candidate of the APC in the South-East State, Senator Sunny Ogbu Orji, who had prayed the court to invalidate the landslide victory of Umahi at the polls and declare him Governor as the first runner-up on the ground of Umahi’s departure from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the platform on which he rode to power.
The plaintiff argued that upon defection to the All Progressives Congress, Gov. Umahi ought to have vacated office to allow him assume duties as Governor, insisting that his defection invalidates his victory at the poll.
However, delivering judgment, Justice Henry Njoku dismissed the suit for lacking in merit.
