The former National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance and the party’s candidate in the Anambra Central Senatorial district re-run, Chief Victor Umeh has allayed fears that a former governor of the state, Mr Peter Obi and his group may use the judiciary to frustrate his ambition to go to the senate, saying “Obi cannot play prank forever”
The Enugu Court of Appeal had on December 7 ordered a fresh election in the district following the nullification of the March 28,2015 election of Mrs Uche Ekwunife of the Peoples Democratic Party by the appellate court.
As a result, INEC had fixed the rerun for March5, but excluding the PDP in the rerun poll as a consequence of annulling Ekwunife’s election.
The Court of Appeal had in the December 7 judgement said ” the 11 respondent (Ekwunife) has been disqualified from participating in the Anambra Central Senatorial election.”
Following this development, the PDP in the state , allegedly sponsored by ex-governor Obi, had approached an Abuja Federal High Court asking the court to compel INEC to include the PDP in the rerun, a plea which the court granted it.
Consequently, INEC had to, on March 3rd, postponed the senatorial rerun indefinitely.
This situation has raised palpable fear that certain people may use ligation to scuttle the district’s rerun.
But Umeh, who spoke in an interview at Oba in Idemili North local government area of Anambra state after receiving the title of ‘Ikenga Oba’ conferred on him by the traditional ruler of the town, Igwe Peter Ezenwa said he hoped that soon the Court of Appeal would give its final judgment on the eligibility of candidates who would participate in the rerun election.
Umeh insisted that it had been decided in a plethora of cases by Nigeria’s supreme court that no fresh candidate “shall participate in an election after it was cancelled and a re-run ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction.”
He wondered why Obi who had severally benefitted from the rule of law would want to arm-twist the law now.
He said “INEC is still following what the law says that those who ran in the first election are the only eligible people to run again.
“INEC wants to remind those not qualified; those who benefitted from the rule of law but want to subvert it now that they cannot do that.
“People cannot play prank for ever. I hope that very soon the Court of Appeal will give final verdict. Anybody who knows what the law says and wants to ambush it will soon regret it”.
He described many titles coming his way from prominent traditional rulers in the state as a loud message to those who have been going around tarnishing his image.
“I thank God that almost all the first class traditional rulers in the South East have conferred titles on me. And this one is clear testimony of my testament and character.
“There is hardly any title I have not received. If rulers continue to give me these titles, it is an appreciation of my role in Igbo land .
