A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has charged all faithfuls of the party in the state not to be dissuaded by the Monday’s Federal High Court’s judgement, which nullified all the party’s primaries as the ruling is the tonic to strengthen us in our resolve to ouster Wike:
Eze gave the charge in a statement circulated in Port Harcourt on Monday, noting that there was nothing new in the judgement, or making it different from an earlier judgement delivered by the state’s High Court, assuring the the party would pursue the matter to the Supreme Court, where he believed the party would get true justice.
He however expressed delight that the latest judgement had made it clear to Senator Magnus Abe, who was the initiator of the litigation, that he had been used by Governor Nyesom Wike in a plot to destroy the APC in Rivers state and had in the process burnt his own fingers by writing off any chance he might have had with the party.
Eze urges the party leadership that now is the time to welcome Magnus Abe and his supporters back to the party so that he can join Tonye Cole in our rescue mission in the State. They went to court to be declared candidate but the court declined. Unless they want to pitch tents with Wike, it’s clear the fight is between PDP and APC and APC has said, we have a candidate in the person of Pastor Tonye Cole.
According to Eze, the party was sure of getting victory at the higher courts, which would afford the recognised governorship candidate of the party in the state, Pastor Tonye Cole, the opportunity to contest the election and defeat Wike in the end.
“Today’s judgement nullifying both our gubernatorial candidate, Pastor Tonye Cole & our other candidates including Magnus Abe who is the architect of this unwarranted situation. The verdict has exposed both Wike and Abe of lacking ideas & principles on how to move Rivers State forward.
“Let me reiterate that today’s FHC verdict only succeeded to strengthen us the more in our resolve to form the next Govt come May 2019.
“There is nothing new said by Hon. Justice Omotosho of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt that delivers his judgment today. He only affirmed what was said by the State High Court judge, which Magnus and Wike collaborated against APC. He summed up his judgment according to paragraph 7 of the State High Court judgement that nullified our primaries. Besides, we should note that the State High Court judgement by Justice Chinwendu Nworgu was based on faulty foundation as it was based on an illegal representative of the party by a fellow not authorized to represent the party in the court proceedings.
“My happiness is that Magnus can not eat his cake and have it. Now he has realised that wike used him to destroy APC in Rivers State unless he is working in collaboration with Wike.
Party faithful should not be distracted and inclined to listen to microwaved legal interpretations as to how APC will have no candidates. They will. Let the lawyers do their work, politicians do their own and the voters do theirs when the time comes.
Let Wike and his misguided followers not celebrate as this court ruling is part of a process, not the main event. The match is not over. We have not even reached half time. Until the appeal is concluded, no contrary action will be taken especially by INEC.
“Finally, I will urge all APC members not to panic or be dismayed as Tonye Cole will not only contest this election but will be sworn in as the next Governor of Rivers State come May 29th, 2019 no matter the odds”, he said.
