From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Abia State, Professor Greg Ibe said he has filed a stay of execution to the judgment of an Abuja High Court, nullifying the governorship primary in the state.
He has therefore urged his supporters and APGA members in the state not to panic over the judgment.
Justice Binta Nyako of Abuja High Court, who delivered the judgement in a suit filed by one of the governorship aspirants, Chief Chikwe Udensi, ordered a fresh primary within 14 days.
This is coming barely 24 hours after a federal high court in Umuahia, quashed a suit filed by another aspirant, Gen. Ijioma N. Ijioma, also seeking the nullification of the primary election, for lack of merit.
Udensi and Ijioma came third and fourth respectively in the May 29 primary won by Professor Ibe, while Etigwe Uwa, SAN, came second .
A statement by Prof Ibe’s Media Aide, Sleek Ogwo said his principal’s lawyers had appealed the judgment.
The APGA governorship candidate said that Udensi and his sponsors would not be able to stop or prevail against the will of God, expressing hope that the Appellate court would uphold his candidacy.
He also said that the inauguration of his Campaign Council scheduled for Friday, as well as campaigns would continue as scheduled.
“We shall cross this Red Sea. Our programme continues and our campaigns will go on as scheduled. There is no going back. We must salvage our state from the hands of those holding it down. Nobody will stop the New Abia that is about to be born”.
Professor Ibe said that Udensi deceived the court, insisting that the May 29 primary election of APGA was peaceful and supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
“We thank the Judge for giving us the judgment that was not expected. He knows too well that INEC stamped all the delegate list for the election and INEC was the umpire.
“What Udensi presented was personal to him and he used it to deliver judgment against us. But there is no cause for alarm. We give thanks to God.
“Our teeming supporters and APGA members should not worry. We keep on moving. Our party shall keep on getting stronger”.