By Chesa Chesa
The Labour Party (LP) candidate in the November 11 governorship election, Athan Achonu, on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court judgment affirming his candidature, and called on Imo people to now disregard all distractions and vote for him to bring good and exemplary leadership to the State.
Achonu spoke to journalists in Abuja shortly after the Supreme Court affirmed him as he only lawfully recognized candidate of the LP for the forthcoming Imo governorship poll.
He described the series of legal challenges to his emergence as the LP candidate as a psychological warfare by his opponents through sowing seeds of doubts on voters minds, which has now failed.
He also noted that he was not even a party in the suit filed by his opponents because they were just up to subterfuge.
“I was not sued. I won a fair primary election, and courts never said I was not the candidate. It was a psychological warfare to make Imolites think there was a problem with my candidature, so and dissuade them from voting for me.
“With this judgement, I make bold to again call on Imolites to come out massively to campaign and vote for me so that we can take back our State.
“I also challenge the press to help save Imo and Nigeria”, said Achonu as he pledged to deliver such leadership that will make Imo State an example to others.
He also declared that the legal obstacles have not in any way distracted him from the governorship race, saying that instead “Imo is on fire and the Governor is running helter skelter”.
Also addressing the press alongside him was the National Legal Adviser of he Labour Party, Kehinde Edun, who summarised the Supreme Court judgment.
According to him, the Supreme Court has “put an end to the subterfuge, masquerading and charade of the Apapa group”, which has been trying to derail the chances of the party in the election.
He explained that Achonu legally emerged as LP candidate in the primary conducted by the national leadership last April, which he said was observed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and that it followed due process.
He stressed that two losers “decided to play games”, and went to court, even when the law says that if you must challenge the outcome, the winner must be a party to the case, and this did not happen.
Moreover, the Appeal Court had earlier dismissed the case, and Supreme Court has jus affirmed it, on the basis of “no locus standi”, meaning that the case should not have been filed ab initio.
“Only one primary is recognised and that is the one organised by Julius Abure (national chairman), and recognised by INEC and Supreme Court. Any other is a jamboree.
“The implication is that Achonu remains the LP candidate in Imo, and Abure remains national chairman”, he stated.
Besides, the Supreme Court cautioned the lawyers of the appellant – Joseph Ukaegbu – for trying to support the case of the appellant, which Edun described as a misconduct.
