Politics
Enugu Govt Urges Opposition Parties To Partner Ugwuanyi
Enugu State Commissioner
for Information, Dr Godwin Udeuhele, has appealed to opposition political parties to close ranks with the state government and support it to move the state forward.
Udeuhele made the appeal on Friday in Enugu while reacting to the judgment of the Governorship Election Petition Ttribunal which upheld the election of Chief Ifeanyi Uwuanyi as governor of the state.
He said that the decision of the tribunal had settled the fallout of the contest, adding that it was time for the citizens and residents to embrace peace for the benefit of the state.
“This victory was long awaited because the masses spoke and the judiciary has now confirmed it.
“The governor will now be at ease to continue to dish out dividends of democracy to residents of the state.
“I appeal to members of the opposition parties to close ranks with the governor and have the spirit of sportsmanship to move the state forward,” Udeuhele said.
The member representing Nkanu East Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Mr Paul Nnajiofor, said that the judgment was in favour of the truth.
“There is hope in judiciary no matter how long it takes for the truth to surface. I am happy that the judgment came at the right time because it will lift every other burden the governor may be facing,” he said.
Also reacting, Chairman of Ezeagu Local Government Area, Mr Emeka Ozoagu, said that the victory was well-deserved as the people spoke with one voice during the poll.
Ozoagu said that the massive turn-out of people at the venue of the tribunal, attested to the general acceptability of the governor.
“It is one thing to canvass an issue and another to prove it in court. People came to see how the mandate given to the governor will be upturned by the tribunal.
“We thank God for what has happened today because this is the man we want,” Ozoagu said.
Politics
LP Crisis: Ex-NWC Member Dumps Dumps Abure Faction
Mr Ojukwu, who recently returned to the interim National Working Committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, noted that the party had 34 elected members in the House of Representatives, eight Senators, and 80 members at the state Houses of Assembly after the 2023 general elections.
“Now we lost all of them,” he said. “I don’t think we have as many as five members in the National Assembly.”
The former national officer of the LP talked to journalists in Abuja and said he chose to join the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi-Usman because they are now the officially recognized leaders of the Party.
“I chose to work with the caretaker committee to help save the Labour Party, for the benefit of the party. I also want to use this chance to ask my colleagues at the national, state, and local government levels to come together and help rebuild our party.
“Another election is around the corner. We lost everything we have. They have left to other political parties. So I’ll reach out to all my friends in the other group to get together and work on making this party stronger again.
“The caretaker committee has formed a reconciliation committee. Let’s come together and talk so that we can restore the first opposition political party in Nigeria.”
Mr Ojukwu, who was part of the Julius Abure’s group, said there are no more factions in the LP.
He added, “There is a court ruling, and since it is valid, the right people are in the correct positions.”
He urged Barr Abure and others to drop the legal cases they have filed because they are not helping the party.
“Litigations are killing political parties”, he said. “They’ve seen many political parties disappear because of legal battles, and the Labor Party is losing support every day, which makes me feel sad.”
Mr Ojukwu said he did not think joining the Senator Nenadi-Usman’s NWC was a betrayal of the Abure group, describing himself as “the oxygen” of that faction.
“I’m with this group because of the verdict. But I never betrayed anybody. Rather, I was betrayed,” he added.
