From Everest Ezihe, Owerri
Following last Friday Supreme Court judgement, re-validating Senator Hope Uzodimma of All Progressives Congress (APC) as the authentic winner of the Saturday November 11th, 2022 governorship election in Imo State, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in the election said he has accepted the judgment of the apex court in good fate.
This is even as the Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma has commended Imo people for their unalloyed support from the day of the election till the final affirmation by the apex Court.
The Supreme Court had on Friday August 23 declared Uzodimma as the winner of the November 11 Governorship election in the State.
In a release signed by the Media aide to Senator Anyanwu, Dr. Ikenna Onuoha and made available to The Authority in Owerri on Sunday, Anyanwu appreciated his teeming supporters for being resilient, firm and steadfast throughout the period the legal fireworks lasted, and blamed the apex court for legalizing electoral fraud.
According to him, “Imo people, on November 11, 2023 came out en- masse and voted for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in a bid to guarantee development, economic stability, social sanity, security of lives, properties and other dividends that could advance our nascent democracy.
“Regretably, that clear mandate to the PDP standard bearer was whimsically hijacked by agents of the All Progressive Congress in alleged connivance with the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“Painfully, the apex court on Friday August 23, 2024 gave legal affirmation to that charade by upholding the declaration of the candidate of the APC as the true winner of the election.
While Imo people are still surprise on the actions of the Supreme Court by given legal affirmation to a wrongly declared winner in the election, such judgement will continue to hurt and hunt the Nigeria Judiciary not only now, but in the nearest future* he lamented.
Onuoha recalled that the Election Petition Tribunal and Appeal Court respectively had earlier committed legal blunder by dismissing an appeal bordering on obvious electoral fraud allegedly committed by the APC and its agents, but the Supreme Court, expected to correct the error still toured the same line of legal de-service and affirmed the APC candidate as the winner of the November 11 Governorship election.
He alleged that owing to these obvious provocations, Senator Anyanwu, as a true patriot has appealed to his numerous supporters, fans and concerned Nigerians to remain calm, law abiding and shun any act that may create tension or truncate the peaceful co-existence of the society.
