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The All Progressives Congress(APC) and Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) have expressed divergent views over the Supreme Court judgement that nullified the election of Emeka Ihedioha as the governor of Imo State.
While the APC hailed the judgement as a fair one, the PDP described it as a sad commentary on the nation’s democratic order.
The APC through its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu said it was ecstatic over the Supreme Court’s declaration of its governorship candidate, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, as the valid winner of the 2019 governorship election in Imo State.
Issa-Onilu, in a statement said the party was still wondering why it lost elections it clearly won in Zamfara State at the Supreme Court and how the same court ruled the party out of the electoral race in Rivers State, adding that “we have never, as a political party, lost faith in the judiciary.”
“We salute Senator Hope Uzodinma, our supporters and members for their temperance displayed in the aftermath of the blatant rigging of the Imo overnorship election. We chose to focus on the judicial route to reclaim the party’s mandate. We are confident that our other stolen electoral mandates will be restored by the courts,” he said.
The party called on all APC stakeholders in the state to come together in support of Uzodinma to ensure the success of the party’s Next Level agenda and to democratically entrench the APC in the state and entire South East.
But the PDP said it was surprised at the judgement of the Supreme Court on the Imo State governorship election.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, described the judgement as yet another very sad commentary on the nation’s democratic order.
He said: “The party finds it difficult to understand how Senator Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress, who came 4th in the March 9, 2019 governorship election, with just 96,458 votes, will suddenly, by the token of the judgement of the Supreme Court, defeat Chief Emeka Ihedioha/PDP who scored 276,404 votes.
“In fact, the PDP and indeed, most Nigerians are still at a loss as to understand the basis upon which the Supreme Court arrived at its decision.
“The party says it is lamentable that the destiny of the people of Imo state is being taken from the governor they chose and voted for and handed over to individuals and a political party that do not have their blessing and mandate and which they rejected at the election.”
Ologbondiyan said the people of Imo state are now confronted with the challenge of having a government that they cannot identify with and which cannot connect with them.
He stated that all the gains, including the development and stability already achieved by the people-based government of Ihedioha and PDP administration in the state, are now heavily jeopardized.
According to him, Indeed, the mournful and despondent ambience that now pervades Imo is a loud testimony that the judgement did not reflect the expectation of the people as expressed at the polls.
“While recognising that the judgment of the Supreme Court is final, the PDP, however, urges all party stakeholders in the state to remain united and calm, and await further instruction from the national leadership on this very sad development,” Ologbondiyan said.