LR: Ebonyi APC's Nwifuru, PDP's Odii and APGA's Odoh.A group identified as the Coalition of Ebonyi Youth Leaders has during the weekend appealed to the State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ifeanyi Odii and his counterpart of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Ifeanyi Odoh to withdraw their litigations against the State governor-elect Francis Nwifuru during the March 18 poll.
Odii and Odoh contested the just concluded 2033 governorship election in Ebonyi and alleged irregularities following the victory of Francis Nwifuru of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC at the polls, but have move on to seek the nullification of the exercise in the Ebonyi State Election Petitions Tribunal.
However, In a press conference, the Chairman of the Coalition Group for the Youth Leaders in the State, Comrade Raymond Okoro, said the duo among other litigants against the outcome of the March 18 gubernatorial polls should withdraw their litigations in the spirit of brotherhood and good sportsmanship.
"In the spirit of brotherhood and good sportsmanship, they should withdraw their litigations and all legal quagmires against the last governorship election in the state.
"Such legal tussles are not healthy for the development of Ebonyi State and the entrenchment of unity and brotherhood in our social-political cohesion as a people, resurrecting from long years of collective marginalization by people who felt Ebonyi State and Ebonyians should be subservient and subjugated.
"We call on all Ebonyians, irrespective of political affiliation, or tribal or ethnic inclination, to join hands together with Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, and take Ebonyi State to the next height of infrastructural, economic and social-cultural development.
"All these litigations will amount to a waste of scarce resources that would have been used for the development of the state and the empowerment of our youths.
"We call on all litigants against the last elections, to sheath their swords, and use the scarce resources to prepare ground for the next elections."
Okoro also observed that the two guber candidates, Chukwuma Odii and Ifeanyi Odoh, have nothing to lose by withdrawing their petitions, as according to him, they are still in their prime state of youthfulness, and stand chances of exhibiting their leadership potential and good policies come 2031 and 2039 respectively if God says they will lead Ebonyi State.
The coalition groups including Chairmen of the NYC, NYCN, NGOs&CSOs, Izzi Nnodo Youths Forum, NANCY, Grassroots Youths, Ezza Ezekuna Youths, and Reality Ladies among others said the decision to advise the litigants against the their state governorship polls was one of the burner issues resolved after a very crucial consultative and exhaustive meeting held in Abakaliki.
"The entire Ebonyi Youths are under the platform of the Coalition of Ebonyi Youth Leaders Forum, comprising all the major Youth groups and NGOs in Ebonyi State had a very crucial consultative and exhaustive meeting at Abakaliki, to review, analyze, access and critically scrutinize the last general election, as it affects Ebonyi State and Ebonyians.
"After a very painstaking meeting, we came up with the following resolutions and submissions.
"That was the last general elections in Nigeria, vis-Ã -vis Ebonyi State and without prejudices to what transpired in other states. The general election in Ebonyi and that of the governorship in particular.
"The outcome of the governorship election was the will of the people that played out.
"The collective will was what played out in the last election, as the entire Ebonyians have spoken in one voice. The voice of the people is the voice of God."Voix Populi, Voix de Dieu".
"The voice of the people is clearly and unequivocally stated and entrenched in the candidature of Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, which eventually culminated in his victory at the poll.
"Ebonyians have spoken in one voice and Chief Ogbonna Francis Nwifuru remains sacrosanct as the divinely ordained governor of Ebonyi State come May 29", 2023. What God has ordained, and sanctioned by the people, let no man subvert it.
"In view of the above critical perusal and analytical assessment, we, therefore, make the following injunctions: We the youths of Ebonyi State as the realistic prospects of the Ebonyi Project. Therefore call on our prospective leaders in Ebonyi State and co-youths, in the persons of Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii (Anyichuks)and Prof.Benard Ifeanyi Odoh to as a matter of urgency and for the interest of Ebonyians and the development of Ebonyi State," the Chairman further explained.
