By Sunday Ani
Enugu State chapter of the Action Alliance (AA) has concluded arrangements to release the names of its candidates into various elective positions for the 2023 elections, ranging from the governorship to the Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly.
This was contained in a statement by the state party leader, Tobemamah Tobenna, who noted that the state chairman would, in a matter of days, release the candidates’ list to the public.
He said the authentic chairman of AA in the state is Mike Onodu, warning that any other person parading him/herself as the state party chairman was doing so at his or her peril.
Wondering why some persons who should know better would allow themselves to be deceived by the people he referred to as hustlers, he said: “I say this against the backdrop of some persons who are parading themselves as the candidates or chairman of the party in the state.”
The clarification according to the party leader became necessary following the leadership tussle in the party. “It is on record that there is existing judgement from the Court of Appeal in the Abuja judicial division on Friday, January 7, 2022, before their lordships, Justice Ali A.B Gumel, Justice Mohammed Danjuma and Justice M. I. Sirajo with suit no. CA/ABJ/CV/879/2021, between AA, Chief Kenneth O, Udeze and John Okechukwu Ikeotuonye as appellants, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Adekunle Rufai Omoaje and Doreen Ifeoma Maduka as respondents, wherein the judgment was delivered by Justice Gumel.”
He noted that the appeal was against the judgment delivered by Sulaiman Belgore J of the FCT High Court, Bwari, Abuja, on November 1, 2021, in a suit No FCT/HC/CV/1734/2021.
He alleged that the said judgment clearly stated that Udeze’s suspension from AA has not been lifted by the appropriate authority or set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction. “The suspension still stands valid,” he added.
He equally alleged that those parading themselves as candidates of the party in the state were those that emerged under the leadership of Udeze, who he described as a self acclaimed national chairman of the party.
He advised those parading themselves as candidates and state party chairman, as well as their sponsors, to desist from such adventure forthwith, saying, “And to the general public and authorities, it is important to state here clearly that there is no dispute in Action Alliance in Enugu State, and very soon, our state chairman will unveil all the candidates of the party in the state.”