Anambra Central Rerun: Despite Court Order, Umeh Flags Off Senatorial Campaign

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State, Politics Friday, December 15th, 2017

Photo: Victor Umeh

From Ignatius Okpara, Awka

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Despite an order by a Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital that Dr. Obiorah Okonkwo, of the peoples Democratic party, PDP be sworn-in immediately as the Senator representing Anambra Central senatorial district, the ruling All

Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has ignored the order and flagged off its campaigns ahead of the rerun election of the zone scheduled for 13th January 2018.

Before the court verdict, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC had fixed January 13, 2018 for the rerun election.

APGA’s candidate for the rerun, Victor Umeh, told his supporters that the rerun election would still hold, saying the court judgement was a ridiculous one, especially coming from a High Court in a matter that had been settled by the Supreme Court.

According to him, “I want to assure you that the rerun election must hold. Do no mind what they are doing, just get prepared with your PVCs to vote for APGA.

“I got 86,000 votes in 2015 to win that election. Ngige got 20,000 votes and when they saw that I had won, they gave Ekwunife 93,000 votes and rigged her in.

“But today where is she? She is no where. Obi also came out to join the race, and I told him he was not qualified to run and he said he is the rock and would contest, but what happened?

“I have never lost any legal battle, and I assure you that Obiorah Okonkwo is too small to confront me. I have survived too many court orders to fear this one from Okonkwo.

“The Okonkwo that court is asking to be sworn in as PDP’s candidate for that election held his primary election in Ogidi, Ekwunife held a separate primary at Nri, while Sylvester Okonkwo had his at Ojoto, and each declared himself winner, and a court thinks it is credible primary.”

Umeh, a former national chairman of APGA, expressed confident that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would abide by the order of the Supreme Court to hold a rerun within 90 days, stressing that he was confident that Okonkwo can not be sworn into the Senate under any law in Nigeria..

However, in a dramatic twist the state governor, Dr. Willie Obiano who accompanied Umeh to the rally, declared himself the chairman of Victor Umeh campaign organisation.

He said he would stop at nothing to ensure that Umeh was elected into the Nigerian Senate as representative of Anambra Central senatorial district.