Dr Uche Ogah Remains APC Candidate

GREAT IMO JONATHAN

The All Progressives Congress in Abia State has cleared the air that Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah remains the gubernatorial candidate of the party for the 2019 general election in the state.

The party said that the clarification became necessary following a purported court judgment said to have been obtained by one Ikechi Emenike. The APC said that the general public and their teeming supporters should not be distracted by the said judgment.

“The purported Court Judgment is nothing but a mere distraction induced by those who have been afraid to face party members and to participate in a primary that was all inclusive. Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah was overwhelmingly elected as the governorship candidate of our great Party in a direct primaries approved by National Working Committee that was delegated from Abuja; which is the only body constitutionally empowered to conduct such primaries. He was elected in a primary that has been adjudged the best across the federation and such a party mandate cannot be taken through the back door.”

“To give a background to the judgement obtained by the Ikechi Emenike led group in Abuja yesterday night. We present the general public with their claims and affidavit in support of their case.

Please see the attached document.

They claim that a court had ordered APC to recognise the Ikechi Emenike camp as state party executive. The judgment they are relying on is an interlocutory order made in a suit which is still ongoing.

See the attached order of the court they relied on.

The first and second pages of the documents are the interim order of court which recognised Ikechi Emenike’s faction as the state chairman. “The order of court did not say they should submit list of candidates to INEC.

“It is important to note that Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah filed an application to be joined in this matter, owing to the fact that his name has already been submitted to INEC. He filed the application on 15th November, 2019 and the court was supposed to hear the application on the 28th. On 28th November, the court did not sit. The Registrar of Court said that a new date will be communicated to the parties. The matter was then adjourned to 29th after Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah’s lawyer had left the court. The new date was not communicated to him. On 29th, though the motion for joiner was served on all the parties and no counter affidavit was filed, the court dismissed the motion for joiner. Meanwhile Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah’s lawyer was not told that the matter was adjourned to that date.

“The judge heard the matter and adjourned for judgment the same day. The court then resumed sitting by 9pm to deliver a judgment.

“By the rules of court, judges are to sit between 9am to 6pm.

“Hence, the world can see that the judgment of the High Court in Abuja purportedly removing Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah and imposing High Chief Ikechi Emenike as the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress in Abia State is nothing but an aberration. To start with, the High Court Judge went beyond his brief, which was to determine whether the current All Progressives Congress Executive in Abia State was properly elected or not. The judge went beyond this brief to issue a judgment determining who should be the governorship candidate of the party in the 2019 election.”

“It is important to emphasise here that Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah brought an application seeking to be joined as a party in the matter and his application was dismissed by this same judge. He went further to give judgment without the party entering into appearance. And of note is the fact that he delivered judgment by 9pm Nigerian time; Making it a very suspicious judgment.”

“From the foregoing, it is obvious that the judge had a predetermined position on the matter.

“But there is no cause for worry. Our legal team has filed an application for stay of execution and another to vacate the judgment.

“We have had a judicial precedent in this regard relating to Sullivan Chime, were a judgment that was delivered at 8pm by a court was set aside by a higher court of law and that still subsist.”

“This is a case like many others and we are not rattled by it in anyway. In politics we expect that there will be challenges and disagreements. But the purpose of politics is conflict resolution and balance of interest as it relates to the interest of the masses.”

“Hence, Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah is well prepared to weather this storm in his effort to give the Abia people a brighter rewarding future.”

Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah wishes to assure his followers and party supporters that there is nothing to worry about. “Don’t be distracted or be dismayed. Stay focused on the task ahead. Keep relating our messages of hope and of a better Abia under the APC incoming government.