By Chijindu Emeruwa.
A southeast stalwart of the All Progressives Congress(APC), and the immediate past Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, has insisted that APC never lost Abia governorship seat election conducted in 2019 by the Independent National Electoral Commission but concluded process was rigged by the ruling government in power in the state.
Recall that the last election saw return of Okezie Ikpeazu as the Governor of Abia State for a second term in office. His current tenure will elapse on 29th May, 2023.
However, Ogah who was reacting on the backdrops of his recent affirmation of his gubernatorial candidancy under the All Progressives Congress after a conducted parallel by a high court in Abuja as the authentic APC gubernatorial candidate for the coming elections in Abia state shortly after arrival at Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport, Owerri from Abuja during the weekend, reiterated that progressive party has recorded impactful strides in its development in Abia state leading to the unprecedented acceptability and overwhelming popularity the party enjoys among the majority of Abia populaces who had longed for purposeful and responsive leadership to ensure their welfares are enhanced, and developement foster and deepens in their localities, insisting that APC has come stay in Abia state.
He restated that APC is ready and poised to form the next government in Abia state, promising to work towards enhancing the welfare of Abia people, foster and deepen genuine economic growth and Infrastructural developement in the state when elected into the office of Governor of Abia state in 2023.
Words: “In 2019, we drove APC from 4th position to 2nd position. If you go to the true data, APC won that election. That’s what we are saying that people should protect their votes.
“If people in Obingwa had protected their votes, they will not go and write eighty thousand, if people in Isiala Ngwa had protected their votes they will not go and write twenty thousand, that is why we’re saying vote and protect your votes.
“You cannot say am not ready then. We changed the face of APC in Abia state in 2019 and we made a statement. Everything is in God’s hands, as long as God has given us victory in the primaries, you have seen that the victory has started”.
He challenged his opponents from other political parties to come forward with their manifestos to show Abia electorates they possess the needed and requisite capacity to address the myriads of challenges bedeviling the state, expressing total confidence that he would win the forthcoming main election in Abia come 2023.
Ogah who also regretted that the successive administrations controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party in the state had in the last 23 years impoverished the masses, as ordinary citizens are wallowing in state of hopelessness and stagnation.
The ex-Nigerian minister expressed his profound gratitude to the Nigerian judiciary arm of government for demonstrating truly as the last hope of ordinary man.
Ogah urged Abia electorates to cast their votes for credible and capable people , and ensure they protect their vote during the forthcoming polls.
His words,”APC is bringing a people-oriented leadership in all stratas of the state for Abians to have a new relief that can bring succour to many Abias that are downtrodden.
“Many had lost hope but God has restored their hope through the court by giving me the opportunity to become the candidate of APC in Abia state. You can see that hope is restored”.
Also recalls that a federal high court presidedby Honorable Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako in Abuja, had in November 11th 2022, sacked the immediate past Pro-chancellor and the Chairman of the Governing Board Council of University of Nigeria Nsukka in Enugu state, Ikechi Emenike, and affirmed Ogah as the authentic All Progressives Congres Gubernatorial candidate in Abia State.
Justice Nyako, while delivering her judgement in the suit by Ogah, held that the indirect primary election which produced Emenike was in total disobedience to a letter forwarded by the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress to INEC that it would adopt a direct mode primary election in the state.
The judgement came on the heels of the outcome of the parallel gubernatorial primaries conducted by the leadership of the party in Abia state.
