By Elizabeth Chukwuma
When Dave Umahi, described as an’’ Engineer of repute’’ by President Muhammadu Buhari and governor of the south east state of Eboyi, and 22 others that had paid the N100 million each to collect the All Progressive Congress, APC, Presidential Nomination Forms, and which number was later narrowed down to 13 by the screening Committee, to contest the 2023, general elections, he knew he has to make plan B.
This is because as a joiner of the ruling APC, there is no guarantee that he will the APC Presidential ticket with the likes of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state and Yemi Osinbajo, Nigerian Vice Prsident and Rotimi Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers state and minister of Transportation , who has been Turbanned the Dana Amanar Daura, meaning the adopted son of Daura, BUhari home town, were still in the Presidential race.
This many have informed he had sponsored Austin Umahi, the younger brother on one condition that he will withdrew from the race for him if he fails to clinch the APC , Presidential ticket for the 2023, general elections. It was therefore not very surprising that when the senior Umahi lost the APC APC Presidential ticket, alongside 12, he resoted to plan B, to claim the Eboyi south Senatorial Ticket from the younger Umahi.
Agom-Eze, a female Candidate in the Eboyi south senatorial contest who had come a distant second during the Eboyi south Senatorial district primary may have cashed on the deal between the two brothers to approach the Court to be declared as the qualified Candidate for the Eboyi south Senatorial district in the 2023, general election.
The Eboyi state governor , described by many as very rich and who was not ready to accept defeat was said to have approached a Federal High Court in Abakaliki, the state capital, to seek an order to publish his name as the authentic Senatorial Candidate for Eboyi south Senatorial district. Agom-Eze, who had come second in the first primary was said to have been included in the Law suit.
The Court may have dampened Governor Umahi’s hope of contesting the 2023, general election when it delivered its landmark judgment citing section 115 of the Electoral Act, which’’ forbids a person from standing two different primary elections in the same year’’. The trial Judge had declared that if found claiming ‘’to have participated in two primary elections risks a ‘’two year jail term’’.
More frustrating for the senior Umahi was the declaration by the Judge that the authentic Senatorial Candidate for the Eboyi south zone was Mrs. Agom-Eze since the younger Umahi, had withdrawn from the race.
This may have informed why the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, under the close watch of Mahmood Yakubu, a Professor, had omitted Umahi, the Eboyi state governor from their published list of Candidates for the 203 general election. The court was aid to have voided the election and ordered a fresh one to elected another Eboyi south Senatorial Candidate.
This may have encouraged the Afikpo North Local government Headquarters of the ruling APC , in the state, at the instance of the Abdullahi Adamu, a former governor of Nasarawa state to hold a fresh Eboyi south Senatorial primary on Saturday, July 30, 2022, as ordered by the Court to fill the vacuum created following the Court disqualification of Eng.Umahi from being adopted as the Eboyi south APC Senatorial Candidate for the 2023 election.
The Eboyi state governor who was said to have done his homework using the same field soldiers he had used in his reelection bid in 2019, had contested the fresh election alongside the younger Umahi, Mrs .Ann Agom Eze, Mrs. Ibiam Margret Ezenwaanyi and Mrs Chiko Elizabeth Nwakaego, as earlier announced by Emmanuel Adebayo Kehinde, a Professor and Returning officer.
The election which was said to have been amidst tight security and witnessed by prominent APC Chieftains both from the state and Federal level including the state Executive Council members was said to have been closely monitored by INEC officials. To ensure that the right was done.
The Afikpo North Local government Headquarters of the ruling APC , in the state on Saturday, July 30, 2022, had organised the Eboyi south Senatorial election to fill the vacuum, following the Court disqualification of Umahi as the Eboyi south Senatorial candidate on the ticket of the APC.
Note that this is the third time the Eboyi south Senatorial district primary was being held in the state following an order of the Fedeal High Court in Abakaliki, the state capital which had voided the second election and ordered a fresh one.
Although, Mrs. Agom Eze. Eze, who was said to have come a distant second in the first eboyi south Senatorial election conducted name had appeared on the list of the Eboyi south Senatorial contestants, she may have read the handwriting on the wall and found that she does not stand any chance of winning the ticket as the younger Umahi and the Governor, who is his elder brother were said to be closely together to ensure that the APC Senatorial Ticket remain within the family.
This may have informed why she had boycotted the fresh primary in the Eboyi south Senatorial district election conducted last Saturday in which the senior Umahi, had won with a Landslide victory. Given reason for her action, she had said ‘’there was an appeal for stay of execution on the matter’’.
She is optimistic that the Court will nullify the APC Senatorial south district primary. ‘’I am looking forward to the judgment of the Court of Appeal as a Law-abiding citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and I am confident the Court will do justice’’, she had said.
The Eboyi state governor who do not see the Court nullifying the party fresh Senatorial primary in the state had commended the APC Electoral Panel for ‘’the peaceful and transparent conduct of the primary’’. He has given his words to win the Eboyi south Senatorial district election for the APC, in 2023, with little or no effors to beat contestants from the other 18 political parties, registered by INEC, who may have fielded Candidates for the 2023, Presidential and National Assembly election.
