vows to go to Supreme Court
The Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri, Imo State, Thursday, struck out the gubernatorial election petitions brought before it by Emeka Ihedioha, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the April 2015 governorship election in the state.
Ihedioha, the immediate past speaker of House of Representatives, had earlier lost out at the Election Petition Tribunal in June, as the tribunal struck out his matter for failing to fulfil financial payments relating to his petition.
Meanwhile, in a quick reaction to the ruling, Ihedioha said he would approach the Supreme Court for redress, while calling for calm and prayers by his supporters.
He noted with reservations the decision of the Court of Appeal in Owerri to strike out his appeal challenging the ruling of the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Owerri.
He therefore directed his counsels to approach the Supreme Court to seek redress against the Appeal Court’s ruling, believing that justice would be served on the merit of his matter.
Ihedioha said he was convinced that he scored the highest lawful votes cast during the governorship elections, and should have rather been declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said he was “not unaware of the shock and disappointment that have engulfed the entire state, following this unfortunate ruling,” noting that there had been hardship, hunger and hopelessness in which Imolites were subjected to, just to satisfy Okorocha’s alleged greed.
He called on all PDP faithful and indeed Imolites not to despair, but to remain calm and continue in their prayers; as he believes that the years of the locusts as institutionalised by the alleged illegitimate, clueless, irresponsible and primitively corrupt administration of Rochas Okorocha would very soon, give way for a PDP-led God-fearing, purposeful, transparent and qualitative administration.
Meanwhile, Governor Okorocha said he had received with joy the Appeal Court judgment that struck out the appeal filed by Ihedioha challenging the earlier ruling of the Election Petition Tribunal that sat in Owerri, which dismissed his petition against his (Okorocha’s) victory at the April 2015 governorship election.
Okorocha said he commended the Appeal Court for also upholding the ruling of the Election Tribunal, and striking out the appeal also for lack of merit.
“By doing that, the Appeal Court had equally justified the stiff confidence in the ability and readiness of the Judiciary to uphold justice, and also respect the popular and lawful actions of the people over who would govern them at any given time,” said Okorocha, in a statement through his chief press secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo.
He said he has reasonable regard for Ihedioha, and would stop at nothing to commend his effort and apparent desire to govern the state, which he is entitled to, as a bonafide son of the state.
“Hon. Ihedioha’s legal actions with regard to the 2015 governorship election were all designed to help in strengthening our democracy,” Okorocha stated, while also commending Ihedioha’s legal team led by Mike Ahamba for their exemplary outing right from the tribunal to the Appeal Court.
He then appealed to Ihedioha to allow the litigations over the governorship election of 2015 to stop at this level, in the interest of the state and her people, calling on the PDP candidate to join hands with him and other well meaning Imo indigenes to work for the rapid development of the state.
