The All Progressives Congress (APC) has appealed to Uche Ogah, a former minister of state for mines and steel development to sheathe his sword and close ranks with Ikechi Emenike, the party’s governorship candidate in Abia to win at the forthcoming elections.
Friday Nwosu APC national welfare secretary, accompanied by Felix Morka, the party’s national publicity secretary made the call at a press conference in Abuja on Friday.
The Supreme Court had on Thursday affirmed Emenike as the APC governorship candidate in Abia state, thereby bringing the gubernatorial bid of Ogah to a halt.
The former minister of state for mines and steel development had challenged the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which overturned his candidature for the governorship poll.
Nwosu appealed to Ogah to put the past behind him and come along with his supporters to enable APC effect the change the people of Abia has been yearning for, saying the party has all it takes to win the governorship election to liberate Abians.
He also called on Orji Kalu, the Senate Chief Whip and former governor of Abia whose younger brother is using his structures to run for the state’s governorship election on the platform of another party, to mobilise support for the APC standard bearer.
“This morning, I wrote to my brother and young friend Uche Ogah. You have tried, taking your matter to the highest level, to the highest court of the land and the highest court of the land have turned against you.
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“Please, sheathe your sword and come with your supporters and let us support our candidate to win. Nobody will lose. Governorship is not one man thing and the party is also in control. If all of us go and work together, we will win.
“I am appealing to my brother, Uche Ogah please don’t be further offended, cool down your temper. Let us work together and we will win. I am not appealing to him alone, the calibre of people appointed by the APC-led federal government in my state is enough to win the governorship race,” Ogah said.
He lamented the careless attitude of some people who are enjoying the appointment and patronage of the federal government of APC but not working for the party’s electoral success in Abia.
The APC national officer said: “In my state we have a federal commissioner Pencom, representing south-east, he is in our party. We have a federal commissioner with Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) from my state. We have the executive secretary of the National Agricultural Land Development Agency from my state, all appointed by this government.
“We also have Uche Ogah who just resigned as a minister and my humble self in that state. And I am telling you with our supporters, all of us coming together to support Ikechi Emenike, we will win that governorship race. I am not here to say that High Chief Ikechi Emenike is a perfect man, I am not saying so. I am not perfect myself. I may not be good but I am reasonable.
“What we are saying is that the party in its own wisdom has nominated a candidate. I am appealing to my brother, to people of good will to help us appeal to these people, particularly Uche Ogah who went to court and got lost, losing today is not losing forever. I am calling on my brothers to come let us go and effect the change our people are yearning for. That is why I called you this morning to address.
“Not only this, I will go to them, person to person as I have been going. I also include His Excellency Uzor Kalu that we should come and support our party. Like His Excellency, the Senator, his younger brother is running for governor under a different party and he is using the Senator’s and former Governor’s structure to run in his different party.
“All this.. is as if my state is caused and it bleeds my heart that is why I have called to plead with you, say it where it should be heard. And what is making me cry is that these people with this careless attitude are enjoying the appointment and patronage of the federal government of APC and it is not fair.”
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