By Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki.
The 2023 Ebonyi gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ifeanyi Odii and his counterpart of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof Ifeanyi Odoh have been urged to withdraw their litigations against the State Governor, Chief Francis Nwifuru from the election petitions tribunal.
The Caucus members of the Forum for Inclusive Good Governance who made the call on Thursday during a press conference in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital cautioned the two challengers of Nwifuru's victory in the just concluded state governorship election to be wary of the impending implications.
According to a critical stakeholder of the group, High Chief Chidi Ogbonna, the two candidates should not try the patience of the Ekumaenyi people and entire good Ebonyi citizens in their pursuit to work against the apparent traditional principle of equity, justice and fairness governing the apex seat in the state.
Ogbonna, the Director of De Bokos Miners Ltd, recalled that the Ebonyi State Election Petition Tribunal has currently commenced hearing in Abuja as a result of Odii and Odoh's litigations against Nwifuru's declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as the true winner of the March 18 gubernatorial poll.
The Ebonyi expert miner noted that Nwifuru's support during the election was overwhelming, and however, urged his challengers in the tribunal to close rank with him, to further alleviate the suffering of the state's citizens.
His words: "Let the people who contested the last governorship election in Ebonyi State who are challenging the victory of our governor in the tribunal think of the implications.
"The candidates of the APGA and PDP, who took the present governor to the tribunal and of course, I have discovered that they have no moral justification because they know the governor won them at the poll outrightly. The governor defeated the two candidates in almost all the local government areas, and they know that the result was counted and that there was no manipulation but still, they decided to take the governor to the tribunal. This is very unfortunate."
Ogbonna further recalled that in Ebonyi, the former Governor David Umahi fought vehemently to ensure power rotation and the principle of equity, fairness and justice which led to his emergence in 2015 was not truncated under his watch.
He noted that Umahi maintained his advocacy support for equitable distribution of power ahead of the 2023 general elections, and emphasised the need to allow the people of Ebonyi North Senatorial District to take the slot for the governorship position since it was their turn to rule the state following the leadership trends on the guber seat since 1999.
He added: "The then state governor (Umahi) was able to maintain his stand by giving APC governorship ticket to the people of the Ebonyi North, which is their turn to rule the state.
"The Francis Nwifuru of APC later flagged the gubernatorial flag, campaigned very well and won the election. Now, after that somebody who is from the Ebonyi South who knows too well that he lost the election insisted that Nwifuru's victory should be nullified by the tribunal. This is not possible, and if the election is cancelled, Nwifuru will even double the votes he scored on March 18 gubernatorial poll.
"So, today I'm trying to ask candidates of the PDP and APGA to go and withdraw their suits which they filed against the present Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru because it will be better for the growth and development of our dear State, the Salt of the Nation. In the interest of equity, fairness and justice, let them go and withdraw their suits against Nwifuru.
"As you can see, these two people are just bent on distracting the governor from working. Our governor is a very young and vibrant man who is educated, wise, and experienced and can develop our State as governor. He has shown his readiness to take our state to a greater height but due to this distraction, he will be travelling to Abuja just because of the court cases.
"I'm urging the two candidates to go and withdraw their suits. They filed the suits against the governor and they have their rights to withdraw the suits. I know if they withdraw their suits against Nwifuru from the tribunal, the governor will bring them close to his government.
"I'm also calling the stakeholders both from Ebonyi Central and South Senatorial Districts to call on their sons and give the necessary advice, by telling them the cost of the implications of what they are doing for posterity purposes.
"It is because after a long time being in the court with Nwifuru, the people of his clan (Izhi), will say alright if Nwifuru has been in the court from Appeal Court to Supreme Court and later win, they may turn and declare that there is no equity, fairness and justice again in Ebonyi gubernatorial seat.
"Like the elders of the two clans from both the Ebonyi Central and South have to call their two sons or even make press briefing and disassociate themselves from the antics of the two candidates. It is like they are playing hide-and-seek games because if they are not doing that, of course, they would have come up on air, or called for a town hall meeting by inviting the political leaders and other critical stakeholders to disassociate themselves from the activities of the two candidates. That will also tell the people of the State of their position and the governor himself that truly, the two candidates don't have their support."
Ogbonna while emphasizing the need to encourage inclusiveness in good governance in Nigerian States especially the young states like Ebonyi, observed that "the leaders of the Ebonyi Central and South zones should call on their illustrious sons to honourably withdraw their suits against Governor Nwifuru with their reputation intact than to dawn all consequences.
"Nwifuru will be victorious and the implication is that the two zones will never be considered for Governor in this generation and even behind. Politics being a game of numbers, the numerical value of the Izhi clan in Ebonyi North has clarified the issue of the bloc or zone that determines who becomes the Governor of Ebonyi State.
"Should Nwifuru, God forbids could not succeed in the entire court processes, the impression is that Ebonyi State will be without Governor as neither Professor Benard Odo nor Ifeanyichukwu Odii of the APGA and PDP respectively will govern Ebonyi with its capital Abakaliki still in Izhi land in a credible election that was keenly contested and they failed woefully. It may sound funny in the ears of the incurable cynics and enemies of democracy. But trust Izhi man if his nerves are touched."
