By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
A coalition comprising of All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiative, Centre for Leadership Legacy International (Centre LII) and United Arewa Movement for Peace and Good Governance (UAMPGG) has charged the ruling party to act fast to ensure that Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha reclaims her stolen mandate in Abia State.
Briefing journàlists in Abuja, Retson Tedheke, who is Secretary, APC Directorates of Agro & Commodities, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi, who also represents Coalition for Good governance and Change Initiative, Omonu Gowom-Nelson, who is the Lead Director, Centre for Leadership Legacy International and Hon Abdullahi Bilal, who is the National Coordinator, United Arewa Movement for Peace Good Governance, said Onyejeocha was the only politician who openly identified with President Bola Ahmed Tínubu in South East.
Describing the former Deputy Chief Whip of House of Representatives as a reliable politician, the group said “Most outstanding case in view is that of House of Representatives Deputy Chief Whip, Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, representing Isikwato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency.
“It is on record that Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha was the only APC stalwart in Abia State, who openly identified with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and stood on the podium to campaign along with him during the presidential election across the region. While we do not want to go to some of the issues she openly told Asiwaju during his campaign in the region, which eventually came to pass, we want to say that the party must stand up and reclaim all its stolen mandates in the country”.
The grout also said concerned stakeholders in the region have finalized modalities to challenge the outcome of elections in the South East, especially in Abia State where candidates who contested on the platform of Labour Party are still running from piller to pole to validate the credibility of their membership in Labour Party even after elections have been concluded.
“We like to put it on record that the Labour Party (LP) candidate for Isiukwato/Umunneochi federal constituency, Amaobi Ogah, was not a bonafide member of LP at the time of the party primary, because he left the APC and joined the PDP in March 19, 2022. On June 4, 2022, he joined LP and contested the party primaries four days later, June 8. By contesting the primary in June 8, it explains clearly that he was not a member of any political party according to the provisions of the law and Electoral Act, 2022 (as amended).
“Section 77 of the Electoral Act 2022, says “each party is required to maintain a membership register in hard and soft copy and to make such register available to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not later than 30 days before the date fixed for primaries, congresses, and conventions.”
“Recalled that on April 30, 2022, INEC demanded all political parties to submit registers of its members. The Labour Party held its National Assembly primaries on June 8. This was just 4 days after Amaobi Ogah joined the Labour Party. It follows that as of 8 June, 2022 when Ogah manipulated his way into the party to secure an illegal ticket, his name was not on the register of the Labour Party which had been submitted to INEC in compliance with the requirement of Section 77 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
“The constitution makes it clear that a candidate must belong to a political party, which Amaobi Ogah was not at the time he contested.
“While this is not the only basis for which she is challenging the results the Isiukwuato-Umunneochi Federal Constituency election of 25 February, we must also state it clear evidences electoral infractions have been compiled to validate our claims.
“While Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha has so far approached the Court reclaim to challenge what members of her constituency have termed robbery hatched against her, we maintain that the Leadership of the APC at all levels rise to the occasion to retrieve her mandate and that of many others who contested on the platform but were robbed of their mandates through widespread malpractices, vote suppression and falsification of results as witnessed in the South East.
“Let us be specific to describe the election of the Isiukwuato/ Umunneochi Federal Constituency as a sham and charade and if allowed to stand, would have thwarted the resolve of the majority of the people of the constituency and set a bad precedent for future elections.
“Our prayers therefore, are: the APC should and must make every move to reclaim its stolen mandates, even if it means setting up a committee from the existing Presidential Campaign Council to review what transpired during the elections”, the group said in the statement.
