The senator representing Ebonyi Central Zone in the Red Chamber and governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Obinna Ogba, has said the state is not a banana republic, where politicians feel irregularities work.
This was as he said that he was the authentic governorship candidate of the PDP for the 2023 general election in Ebonyi State.
Ogba spoke in Abakaliki on Saturday night, shortly after he returned from Abuja, and urged his supporters and party faithful to disregard as infinitesimal the purported court judgement, which allegedly quashed the primary election that elected him.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki had on June 8, 2022, declared null and void, the rescheduled PDP primaries in Ebonyi State, which were conducted on June 4 and 5, 2022, in which Ogba and other candidates emerged.
The court presided over by Justice Fatun Riman, upheld the primaries of May 28 and 29, 2022, which were cancelled by the National Working Committee of the party and restrained the party from refusing to receive and transmit the name of Mr Ifeanyi Ọdịi, who won the cancelled governorship primary, to the Independent National Electoral Commission as the candidate of the party for Ebonyi 2023 governorship election.
But Ogba, while displaying the Certificate of Return issued to him by the national leadership of PDP before journalists, said there was no cause for alarm.
He, however, noted that he was not even aware of the court matter in which judgement was purportedly entered against him.
He said, “Court does not belong to one person, it belongs to all of us: the rich, the poor, the young and the old. I’m happy the matter is already in court. The court will look at it and I’m sure, judgement will be served.
“But, I think there is a need for people to respect constituted authorities, and I want to tell my opponent and his boys that Ebonyi is not banana republic.
“But one thing I know is that nobody, no matter the circumstance, can intimidate me or take away the mandate given to me, from the backyard, no matter the gang-up.”
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