I want to apologise to His Excellency and to all Nigerians, because our brother, Idu Igariwey, derailed. – Tony Ekoh, as Afikpo stakeholders speak out and hold solidarity rally for Umahi.
Thousands of All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders and supporters in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have held a solidarity rally in support of the State Governor, Engr David Nweze Umahi, over his sack by the Federal High Court in Abuja, lambasting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for trying to replace him with a nominee.
Recall that Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court had on Tuesday sacked Umahi, his Deputy, Barrister Kelechi Igwe and 15 members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly; following their defection from the PDP to the APC in November, 2020.
As a follow up, Igariwey addressed the media on Thursday, urging Umahi to vacate office for him to take over, using the same breath to detail what he described as Umahi’s atrocities against the people of Ebonyi State.
However, speaking on Saturday, during the solidarity rally that recorded a massive turnout of over one thousand participants from different parts of the LGA, the first female Executive Chairman of Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Barrister Obiageri Oko-Enyim, urged Umahi not to lose sleep over plans to remove him from office.
She said: “As the Executive Chairman of Afikpo North, I cannot mislead my people. If I mislead my people, they will remove me from office.
It is because I am speaking their mind, that is why they came out in mass to put a stop to the nonsense (of trying to remove Umahi from office).
They said they are tired of the nonsense. They don’t want to be part of it. They want His Excellency to know that they will follow him wherever he goes.
On his part, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Business Development, Chief Oluchukwu Ukie Ezeali (Chief P Noble), tackled Igariwey and the PDP over the quest to replace Umahi, advising the lawmaker to resign his position as House of Representatives member if he is interested in becoming the governor of Ebonyi State, saying he cannot occupy two elective positions at the same time.
He said: “The entire world will bear witness that Afikpo North is APC. We are very much happy with our Governor. We are not expecting any governor on Facebook. We are not looking for any governor that will be in Abuja.
If you say you have been given ticket or nomination, resign the office you are presently occupying. You cannot occupy two elective positions at once.
You can’t be a House of Representatives member and then tell us you are also the governor. Do you become a governor from Abuja?
“There is only one way you can be the governor: If you pass the primaries and you call for our solidarity, we will support you; that is if you have been anointed or the people want you. You are our brother, but you cannot stay in Abuja and be causing confusion. Afikpo is a peaceful Local Government.
We are solidly in support of His Excellency Governor Dave Umahi. Come 2023, he will peacefully hand over to whoever God ordains to lead Ebonyi state. It is not the ‘governor by appointment’ that we want to carry us forward.”
Similarly, former two-term Chairman of Afikpo North LGA and APC stalwart, Pharm. Anthony Ekoh, Jnr., pleaded with Umahi to find a place in his kind heart to forgive Igariwey, saying he was misled by mischievous elements in the PDP and should be forgiven for the misdemeanor as a father would always forgive a repentant son.
Tony Ekoh, who contested against Igariwey as the APC candidate in the 2019 House of Representatives election, said that Igariwey, having been misled by outsiders, is presently regretting his actions and should, therefore, be forgiven for he knew not what he was doing by tackling Umahi.
He said: “On behalf of the entire people of Afikpo North, I want to apologise to His Excellency and to all Nigerians, because our brother, Idu Igariwey, derailed. He was misled by outsiders. I am sure he is full of regrets now. He completely derailed.
He belongs to PDP. We don’t play politics of bitterness in Afikpo North. So, we will forgive him when he comes back and he will surely come back to apologise.
“He is supposed to be a lawyer, who knows the rule and custom, but he was misled by the PDP to think he can take over from Governor Umahi.
Therefore, I want to beg Governor Umahi to forgive Idu Igariwey, because he doesn’t know what he is doing.
“It is clear to all Nigerians that what is happening in Ebonyi State is because of the 2023 general elections. Many of our people at the National Assembly got there through Governor Dave Umahi.
He worked so tirelessly for them. He battled to put them there. They know their offices are threatened because of the defection, so they are looking for ways to push him out.
However, rest assured that Governor Umahi will continue in office and complete his tenure before handing over in 2023. We are solidly behind His Excellency.”
Other speakers at the rally, including Member III of the Secondary Education Board (SEB) and former Ebonyi State Commissioner for Border Peace and Conflict Resolution, Chief Donatus Ezeogo Aja (Zentus), Coordinator of Amasiri Development Centre, Hon. Baron Ogbonnia, Chairman of Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board (EBSUBEB), Chief Hyacinth Ikpor, among others, condemned the ruling by Justice Inyang Ekwo, saying that the LGA is solidly behind Umahi in his present ordeal.
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