Posted on Jan 17, 2020
The Minority Leader of the Senate, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has urged the Peoples Democratic Party not to despair over the Supreme Court ruling that removed the erstwhile governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha.
He said, “This is not the time for blame game as this dark hour will surely pass away.”
Abaribe stated this in a statement by his Media Adviser, Uchenna Awom, in Abuja on Friday.
He said, “These are times that make hearts and will falter. But as the Holy book says …this too shall pass away.
“For our friend and brother Emeka Ihedioha, courage is the name. This will also pass away.
“Your valedictory speech is heartwarming. It shows that there will be a rosy tomorrow from today’s despondency.
“For all of us in the PDP this is not a time for blames. When men are bent on evil, they will not stop, but ultimately the will of the people shall prevail,” he said.
He urged PDP leaders and members to take the judgement in good faith in deference to the protection of the sanctity of institutions of governance.
He, however, warned of an imminent weakening of some critical agencies of democracy with the verdict.
He said the Independent National Electoral Commission could become lame duck when certified results of units are taken from sources other than INEC, without calling the units’ witnesses as already established by the same Supreme Court in a similar case involving former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, recently.
He said, “What it means is that results from security agencies like Civil defense, Army, Navy and even community ones like Hisba, JTF, among others, would be more sacrosanct and acceptable than the official INEC tabulation.”
He said the painful outcome of the legal process has again raised poignant questions that should ignite serious calls for total reforms of the electoral and governance structures in Nigeria.
He said, “The stark reality in the circumstance is that the Apex Court is the final arbiter and its decisions must be respected at all times.
“Nonetheless, the contradictions in the final analysis, especially when the statistics of who-got-what in the State Assembly among the various political parties is put side by side in the result that was recorded same day with the governorship election.
“How many Houses of Assembly members in Imo State did APC produce in the Election that was held on the same day as this governorship election in question?
“PDP won 13 seats, AA won eight, APGA won six while the APC won none of the 27 seats in the state assembly.
“And now by this Judgement, the APC that did not win any seat in the House of Assembly in the election that was held and collated the same day, won the Imo State Governorship Election at the Supreme Court. APC should not gloat.”