Almost the entire members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Imo State chapter, is certain that soon its candidate in the March 9, 2019 governorship election, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, will soon return to power. In all its conversations and gossips, the sole item on the table is topic that its principal and ousted governor, Ihedioha, is on his way back to the Imo State Government House, Owerri.
This anticipation is common in all of the grassroots, middle class and the elite among them. In a chat with a highly placed member of the party, who spoke on the condition of anonimity said: “We are confident that Ihedioha is coming back because Nigeria is a country governed by laws. Nigeria is not a lawless country. To that effect, we are aware of a judgement that took place on December 20, 2019 where the supreme court stated it boldly that APC as a party had no candidate in the March 9, 2019 governorship election in the state. The apex court ruled that it was Ugwumba Uche Nwosu who actually clinched the APC ticket in the primary election. However, he left the party for AA thereby acquiring double nominations. In that case he was disqualified.
“Since that was the case, some concerned persons have approached the same supreme court and prayed it to enforce its December 20, 2019 judgement on Nwosu. That is, since APC had no candidate in the govenirship election, the serving governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma could not have emerged as the governor since, in the eye of the law, he was not a candidate of any party in that election. And since both the electoral act and the constitution do not have any space for what is called independent candidate, it means Uzodimma’s emergence on January 14, 2020 stands null and void. Thus, with Nwosu out of the way and Uzodimma not being a candidate in that election, it goes to say that the supreme court will definitely return Ihedioha anytime it is administering justice on the matter. This is our happiness”.
Asked if the supreme court would not throw out the matter on grounds of time frame as it is an election matter, the PDP chief stated that “This is not an election matter. It is rather a constitutional issue and any constitutional matter must not be thrown out on grounds of time frame, particularly when it is still frrsh”.
When contacted, the ruling party in the state, APC, described PDP’s expectation as a mere wish and “its selfish imagination”. One APC respondent said, “It is a huge joke. What you have just narrated is an academic exercise”.
