National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, has called on Senator Chris Ngige of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and others who lost the November 2014 Anambra governorship election to give peace a chance and allow Governor Willie Obiano to continue with the good work he has started in the state.

Speaking after the Appeal Court sitting in Enugu yesterday evening upheld Obiano’s election, Umeh said: “It is heartwarming that 75 per cent of the judicial officers in this country have decided to uphold the rule of law and the principles of law.

“Today the Court of Appeal here Enugu in a unanimous decision of five Justices dismissed all the four appeals, upholding our victory at the lower tribunal in Awka following our victory at the governorship election in November 2013. We were not in any doubt that all these appeals would be dismissed because APGA and its candidate, Willie Obiano, won this election with landslide margin with the votes of the people of Anambra State.

“Our opponents, the APC, decided to make noise about this and headed to the tribunal along with the PDP. We have always known that election petition is not a mongo park story; you don’t go to the tribunal to tell mongo park story – you must attend the tribunal with facts. During the hearing of the tribunal in Awka our opponents did not prove anything; the tribunal decided in our favour, and they came here today; I think they have heard it clearly today. APC, PDP and their candidates and another bizarre petitioner, somebody who claimed to be a member of APGA, Chike Obidigbo, all their petitions were dismissed for lacking in merit and being frivolous.”

The APGA chairman further advised the opponents not to go beyond the Appeal Court, adding that there was no reason for them to go beyond the point they had already gone.

He said they should rather write and congratulate Governor Obiano. “They should stop distracting him. They should take this as the final point and join hands with our Governor who is running an all inclusive administration for the people of Anambra State. I sympathise with them but they know that this will be their fate,” Umeh said.

He stressed that with the Appeal Court victory, the party is poised to surprise people with extraordinary results in the forthcoming elections.

However, reacting to yesterday’s judgement, Chairman of APC in Anambra State, Barr. Emeka Ibeh, said that the Appeal Court’s verdict does not bring an end to the battle for justice.

“Our battle is to ensure that justice is done by righting the wrong which INEC helped to promote. The judges have done their bit here today but everything does not end here,” he said.

Speaking in a similar vein, Counsel to Senator Ngige who also filed the appeal on behalf of APC governorship candidate, Barr. Bona Orakwue, said: “Today’s judgement did not go down well with us. In my mind, I think there is need to soldier on, but that is not for me to decide; everything is dependent upon the decision of our leader, Senator Chris Ngige, whatever he decides, we will abide by it.”

•Photo shows APGA National Chairman, Sir Victor Umeh with party chieftains . . . yesterday at the Court of Appeal Enugu.

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