Wild jubiliations in Abia, Akwa Ibom as Supreme Court affirms elections of Ikpeazu, Emmanuel as Governors; ‘My victory is impetus for more work’ – Ikpeazu; ‘You aint seen nothing yet’ – Emmanuel
The apex court ruled that the two would remain the governors of Abia and Akwa Ibom states respectively.
The Court of Appeal had upturned the election of Ikpeazu, declaring that Dr. Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, was the validly elected governor.
Ikpeazu, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, then proceeded to the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling of the Court of Appeal.
In the case of Akwa Ibom, the Supreme Court set aside the ruling of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, which had on December 18 nullified the State’s governorship election of April 11, thus removing Mr. Emmanuel from office.
The court while giving the ruling validating the April 11 governorship election however deferred reasons for its judgment to February 15, 2016.
Mr. Emmanuel’s election was challenged by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Umana Umana.
The election tribunal had awarded Mr. Emmanuel of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, partial victory, with the election cancelled in 18 out of the state’s 31 local government areas. The tribunal ordered a rerun in the affected areas.
Emmanuel challenged the ruling, insisting he won in all 31 LGAs.
Umana, also disagreed with the ruling and appealed, asking for total nullification of the poll.
The Court of Appeal cancelled the entire election and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct new elections within 90 days.
But the Supreme Court has put the contentions to rest with its judgment, causing supporters of the banker turned politician to erupt in jubiliation.
Reacting, Governor Ikpeazu described his victory at the Supreme Court as an impetus for more work and more services to the people of Abia State and Nigeria.
He further described it as the victory of God, the victory of justice, the victory of David over Goliath and the victory of the common masses, adding that there is no victor and no vanquished.
The Governor said he needed to get out of the distractions of legal tussles so he will focus his attention and channel all his energies on service delivery and thanked the supreme court for giving him the impetus to continue with his revolution of rebuilding the state.
Quoting from the Bible, Galatians 6: 17 and repeating after Paul of Tarsus, the Governor said: “From now on, let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of my Lord Jesus”.
He promised that with the distractions over, the tempo of infrastructural renewal drives in the state will be accelerated in the days ahead.
He extended an olive branch to all his detractors and advised them to sheathe their swords and join him in his crusade of development for Abia State, warning that nobody should trouble him again.
The Governor also thanked the people of Abia State for their support and doggedness throughout the campaigns, the elections and the legal battle that have stressed the entire state, adding that there is now light at the end of the tunnel.
He reaffirmed his covenant with the people and maintained that his victory is a clarion call for greater stewardship to the people of Abia, noting that he will remain consistent with his vision of putting the people first.
In an address to the people of Akwa Ibom, Gov. Emmanuel said the verdict was proof that “the institution of the judiciary is alive and well, and is keeping watch over the evolution and the deepening of the democratic culture and traditions of our nascent democracy.”
He thanked the people for standing firm in the face of what “was absolutely the most vile, vitriolic campaign of hatred, blackmail and character assassination ever mounted by an opposition,” stressing that the pronouncement of the Supreme Court, the contest had ended.
“The battle has been won and lost and in any political contest, there must be a winner and a loser. In this case, the people of Akwa Ibom State won because in their considered opinion and reasoning, their fortunes would be better enhanced with a PDP government continuing its solid dispensation of democratic dividends that had in the past eight and half years, transformed our state to a destination of choice, which had informed the investment of their trust in me last April 11.”
He said further that “Our people have arisen and have shaken off the shackles of complacency, of dependence and of the cultivation of a defeatist and pliant mindset; they have arisen to exploit and posses the greatness that is embedded in us all, by the Almighty God; they have arisen to join their brothers and sisters from other parts of the country to make meaning of their lives, to be productive, to be aspirational; they have arisen to take their place in the boardroom of Nigeria, and not as the flotsams and the jetsams of the Nigerian project who were seen only as the cooks and house helps of the rich and powerful; they have arisen to take their destiny in their hands and in unison tell themselves: Never again shall we be treated as mere irritants or the fringe elements of the Nigerian enterprise.
“It takes leadership to engender this new mindset. And I stand here again, as your Servant -Leader to restate my commitment to leading you well, to providing an exemplary leadership that will inspire you to rise to your greatness. If you have been amazed at what we have been able to achieve in the past seven months, with all the distractions, you can imagine what is going to happen now that cobwebs have been cleared, the undulating road, rendered straight and the vision that had been muddied by blatant blackmail, now super clear- 20/20. As the Americans would say “you aint seen nothing yet”.
