APC begs Abia stakeholders to reconcile with Emenike
On Friday, the ruling All Progressives Congress urged former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Uche Ogah, and other disgruntled stakeholders to reconcile with Abia Governorship Candidate, Ikechi Emenike, in order to wrest control of the state from the Peoples Democratic Party.
The news comes just 24 hours after the Supreme Court confirmed Emenike as the genuine APC governorship candidate in Abia.
Ogah, who was also a governorship candidate, had challenged the Court of Appeal in Abuja's decision to overturn his candidacy.
In a unanimous decision delivered by Tijanni Abubakar, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court delivered judgment on Ogah's appeal, holding that the former minister's appeal was devoid of merit.
The judgment has fueled animosity between Ogah and Emenike supporters, a situation that the ruling party fears will cost them the governorship election in the state.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, APC National Welfare Secretary Friday Nwosu urged the warring parties to sheath their swords and work for the party's victory in the state.
Even as he pleaded with Ogah to dismantle his political structure and work together for Emenike.
"I thought it prudent to address you in relation to the Supreme Court judgment on the primary election for the APC governorship candidate in Abia between Uche Ogah and Ikechi Emenike," he said.
"In May 2022, our party conducted primaries into elective positions across the country, for Abia, the party decided to conduct indirect primary, which was the delegate primary election.
"This was agreed upon at the NWC meeting with the party's State Executive Committee before we implemented it.
"The NWC dispatched delegates to Abia with materials and directives to conduct indirect primaries; previously, the party held Ward and Local Government congresses where delegates were elected."
Nwosu went on to say that prior to the primary election, a specific aspirant presented a letter claiming that the party's leadership had ordered a direct primary.
"I know for a fact that the letter was withdrawn immediately because it had not been decided by the NWC. On the day in question, aspirants and delegates gathered at Chidiebere Park in Umuahia and held an indirect election in which Ikechi Emenike was victorious.
"However, Ogah held a direct primary in a very small hall at Umuahia Central Stadium, claiming that the Independent National Electoral Commission was present," he said.
According to him, it resulted in several lawsuits from party members until the case reached the Supreme Court.
"We told him (Ogah) that he (Ogah) cannot win an unlawful exercise just because he claimed INEC monitored the primary," Nwosu said.
"Now that the highest court of the land has ruled, all we ask of him is to sheath his sword and collapse his structure into our own.
"He tried by taking the case to the Supreme Court; now it's time to rally his supporters behind us and ensure we win the upcoming election."
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