Anambra central election: APGA flaunts court order, kicks off campaign

THE All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), on Thursday in Awka, the Anambra State Capital, ignored the Federal High Court, Abuja which ordered the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, to immediately swear-in the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Dr Obiorah Okonkwo.

This is as it had kicked off its campaigns for the rerun election of Anambra Central Senatorial district, slated for 13th January 2018.

The crowded rally was also themed victory rally to celebrate the recent victory of the governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano in the just concluded governorship election.

Chief Victor Umeh, the candidate of the APGA for the senatorial rerun election who addressed party supporters assured them that the rerun election would take place as fixed by INEC.

Umeh said the judgement was a ridiculous one, especially coming from a High Court, “the matter that had been settled by the Supreme Court.”

”I want to assure you that the election must hold. Do not mind what they are doing, just get prepared with your PVCs to vote for the party APGA.”

”I got 86,000 votes in 2015 to win that election. Ngige got 20,000 votes and when they saw that I had won, they gave Ekwunife 93,000 votes and rigged her in.

”But today where is she? She is nowhere to be found in Anambra Politics. Obi also came out to join the race, and I told him he was not qualified to run and he said he is the rock and would contest, but what happened to him?

”I have never lost any legal battle, and I assure you that Obiorah Okonkwo is too little to confront me. I have survived too many court orders to fear this one from Obiorah.”

”The Okonkwo that court has given an order to be sworn in as PDP’s candidate for the central election held his primary election in Ogidi, Ekwunife held a separate primary at Nri, while Sylvester Okonkwo had his at Ojoto, and each declared himself the winner, and a court thinks it is a credible primary.”

Umeh assured that he was confident that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would abide by the order of the Supreme Court to hold a rerun within 90 days. He said he was confident that Okonkwo cannot be sworn into the Senate under any law in Nigeria.

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In a surprise twist, however, Chief Willie Obiano has declared himself the chairman of Victor Umeh campaign organisation.

The governor stated he would stop at nothing to ensure that Umeh was elected into the Senate as he remains a competent voice, who would ensure effective representation for not just the central senatorial zone but the entire Anambra state.

The governor also used the opportunity of the rally to receive some new members into APGA.

ALSO READ: Court orders swear-in of Obiora Okonkwo as Senator

Some of those received included the Guber candidate of the Democratic People’s Congress, DPC; Yul Edichie, Hon Anyo Nebe members representing Awka north and south in the House of Representatives, among others.