PUNCH
The ruling All Progressives Congress on Friday appealed to former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Uche Ogah, and other disgruntled stakeholders to reconcile with Abia Governorship Candidate, Ikechi Emenike, to wrest the state from the Peoples Democratic Party.
The development is coming barely 24 hours after the Supreme Court Thursday affirmed Emenike as the authentic APC governorship candidate in Abia.
Ogah, who was also a governorship aspirant, had challenged the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which upturned his candidature.
Delivering judgment on Ogah’s appeal, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision delivered by Tijanni Abubakar held that the former minister’s appeal was devoid of merit.
The judgment has brought a bad blood between Ogah and Emenike’s supporters, a situation the ruling party feared could make them lose the governorship election in the state.
Addressing journalists on Friday, the APC National Welfare Secretary, Friday Nwosu, appealed to the warring parties to sheath their sword and work for the victory of the party in the state.
This is even as he begged Ogah to collapse his political structure and work together for Emenike.
He said, “I have thought it wise to address you in respect of the Supreme Court judgment on the primary election for Abia governorship candidate of the APC between Uche Ogah and Ikechi Emenike.
“In May 2022, our party conducted primaries into elective positions across the country, for Abia, the party decided to conduct indirect primary, which was the delegate primary election.
“This was agreed at the NWC meeting with the State Executive Committee of the party before we implemented it.
“The NWC sent delegates to Abia equipped with materials and directives to conduct indirect primary, prior to that, the party had conducted Ward and Local Government congresses where delegates were elected.”
Continuing, Nwosu disclosed that before the primary election, a particular aspirant came up with a letter claiming that the party’s leadership had ordered a direct primary.
