Isialangwa-South LG Poll Controversy: APGA Candidate Slams ABSIEC, Says I’ve been Declared Winner

By NewsCRitic Reporter

Chairmanship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in the 2016 Local Government Area elections for Isialangwa-South LGA, Hon Christian Ikechukwu Okeri, has berated the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission, ABSIEC, for denying that it was not served a copy of the Appeal Court judgement that nullified the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party Chairmanship candidate in the said election, Mr Isikaku Goddy.

ABSIEC Chairman, Prof Mkpa Agu Mkpa, had in an interview with NewsCritic online through the Commissioner/Secretary Barrister Tony Mgbarine, said there was no specific order of the court to withdraw the certificate of return issued the PDP candidate, Mr Isikaku.

Prof Mkpa also said that the commission would not make further comments on the issue until it sees the judgement of the court which nullified the declaration of the PDP candidate as winner of the 2016 Isialangwa South LGA poll by ABSIEC.

However, speaking in an interview with this newspaper, the APGA candidate Hon Christian Okeri, said that contrary to the ABSIEC claims, that the commission was served with the court Order through her legal department, adding that the facts are there to be exhumed when the time comes.

Hon Okeri also pointed out that the claim by ABSIEC that there was no specific Order to withdraw the certificate of return issued to the PDP Chairmanship candidate, Mr Isikaku, is baseless and unfounded. According to him, at that point in time the PDP candidate Isikaku was no longer the issue having been disqualified by the court, he observes.

He added that all that was required was for ABSIEC to have acted in accordance with the said judgement. So “the question is, did ABSIEC do what the court ordered it to do? If ABSIEC obeyed the judgement and carried out the directive of the court, would the issue of certificate withdrawal arise? Obedience to the Court Order which was explicit and unambiguous would have buried all these needless shenanigans, Okeri maintained.

Speaking further, the APGA Chairmanship candidate stressed that he is convinced the ABSIEC would end up ridiculing itself at the end of the day if it fails to tow the path of honour and justice.

He said “I’m convinced that ABSIEC would end up ridiculing itself at the end of the case if it fails to act now, because we came to equity with clean hands, and having been declared winner, it’s just a matter of time before our victory would be celebrated in the country by all lovers of democracy and justice”, Okeri submits.

Continuing, Hon Okeri notes that “laws are made for man, and laws are made to be obeyed irrespective of where the pendulum swings. ABSIEC and Prof Mkpa Agu Mkpa should know that laws are not made to suit personal prejudices, but are made to serve the enduring attributes of good conscience, honour and equity”.

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