As
two governorship candidates lay claim as
flag bearer of the Labour Party in Imo State, one of the favourites, Sir
Basil Maduka keeps strong faith in the Judiciary, writes Amby Uneze
The
unity that existed in the Labour Party (LP) before and during the presidential
and national assembly election was solid hence the party achieved tremendous
success in that poll. Having won the Imo East senatorial zone and some House of
Representatives tickets, as well as winning over 90 percent in the presidential
election, the party would be said to have started well in the State.
However,
the March 15, State House of Assembly election was a mere allocation of votes
to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates, courtesy of the ‘unholy
marriage’ that existed between the State government, the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) and the security agencies that midwifed such a disgraceful
result. According to INEC, the APC candidates won the 27 seats in the State
Assembly. Imo citizens knew quite well that they did not vote APC in that very
election.
The
Labour Party became everyone’s choice because of the frankness, integrity,
capability, capacity, etc of their presidential candidate, Peter Obi. Again,
the choice of his running mate, Datti Ahmed was another added impetus that
endeared Nigerians to the party.
Senator Athan Achonu
Imo
State was not left behind in the surge to join the winning team hence the
personality of Peter Obi made it possible for the party to make some remarkable
successes at the Presidential and National Assembly poll. With victory in mind
to capture the State in the November 11, governorship election, many aspirants
threw in their hat in the ring.
The
enthusiasm generated by the overall acceptance of their presidential candidate
gave rise to the flooding of the governorship aspirants where those credible
and unserious charlatans came through the backdoor to grab the ticket. Of
course, it was not possible because the ticket was not for sale to the highest
bidder. Again, the fear of the Labour Party gripped the incumbent governor Hope
Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who was alleged to have
planted and sponsored some of the aspirants to purchase expression of interest
and nominations form of the party to cause disaffection.
At
the end of the day, two people lay claim to the ticket from the about fifteen
aspirants. The two (candidates) who are claiming to be the duly elected
candidate of the party are Sir Basil Maduka and a one-time senator, Athan
Achonu. As much as they have their rights to lay claim to the position, it
is now the duty of the courts to determine who of the two is constitutionally
elected at the primary of the party.
It
is pertinent at this juncture to throw more light on the journey to the primary
election of the party held on April 15, 2023. Prior to the primary, the
national working committee (NWC) reconstituted the old caretaker committee
whose tenure had since elapsed. A new 14-man state working committee (SWC) of
the State was duly appointed. The letter dated March 6, 2023 addressed to the
Chairman of INEC and duly signed by the National Chairman, Barr. Julius Abure
and National Secretary, Alhaji Umar Faruk Ibrahim appointed the caretaker committee
of the State Labour Party, with Mr. FBI Onyekwulisi as chairman, Ambassador
Lilian Ukoha as Secretary and 12 other members.
Naturally,
the Caretaker committee was given a three-main point agenda to actualize. It
includes: to carry out the revalidation of members of LP, to
conduct the Adhoc Delegates election to elect the Delegates for the
Governorship Primary Election; to conduct the Imo State LP Governorship Primary
election, to elect a Governorship Candidate for the November 11, 2023
Governorship Election; and to organise and conduct Ward, LGA and State
Congresses to elect Party Officers from Ward to State.
Curiously,
the governorship primaries held on April 15, witnessed two camps each holding a
separate primary. On one hand the camp supervised by the Caretaker committee
led FBI Onyekwulisi returned Sir Basil Maduka as the governorship candidate
while another self-imposed camp led by Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie elected Senator
Athan Achonu as her own candidate.
According
to the FBI Onyekwulisi's counsel, Greg Anyanwu the national working committee
of the party on March 6, 2023 dissolved the former State Working Committee
(SWC) led by Engr. Ambrose Onyekwere having completed her required tenure and
appointed another SWC led by Onyekwulisi for a three-month in the first instance
with the mandate to conduct the Imo State LP Governorship Primary
election, to elect a Governorship Candidate for the November 11th 2023 Governorship
Election.
He
said, "On March 7, 2023 the newly inaugurated State
Working Committee arrived Imo State and went straight to the State Party
Secretariat to take over and on March 8, the Ambrose Onyekwere led State
Working Committee that was dissolved handed over the properties of the
Labour Party in their possession to the FBI Onyekwulisi-led State Working Committee.
"Surprisingly,
on March 10, 2023, two persons not being members of the dissolved executive of
LP filed a Suit in an Owerri High Court followed same with an Ex-parte
application seeking for a restraining Order, but in a twist and contrary
to their permutations the Honourable Court in its wisdom ordered for the
maintenance of 'status quo' without more.
"It
is pertinent to go a little bit further, without sounding immodest, there are
two known types of 'Status quo' in the legal parlance first, 'Status quo ante
bellum' which means the state of things before the outbreak of the hostility
that gave rise to litigation, and second 'Status quo" which means the
state of things before embarking on the litigation," he stated.
Anyanwu
went further to state that in the instant case "even a layman knows that
the state of things before the Suit was filed in Court is that the FBI
Onyekwulisi-led State Working Committee of Labour Party appointed on March 6,
2023 and inaugurated same day, took over on March 7, 2023 and was handed over
on March 8, 2023, that is the ',Status quo' before the litigation started
on the March 10, 2023.
Therefore
the State Working Committee in Imo State is known to Law that every reasonable
person will be safely protected before the Law, is the current State
Working Committee led by Comrade F.B.I Onyekwulisi. Any act or omission done by
it is lawful, legitimate and a good act or omission.
"This
goes to the Primary election of March 15, 2023 to elect Labour Party
Governorship Candidate, one conducted by the State Working Committee in
exercise of the powers and assignments given to its members and clearly spelt
out which powers and assignments they were sent to execute were not withdrawn
wherein Basil Maduka emerged as winner scoring 198 votes and the one conducted
by a Steering Committee led by Awuzie produced Senator Attan Achonu
emerging after scoring 135 votes, which of the two Candidates can be said to be
legal in the present circumstance?"
However,
the emergence of Prof. Awuzie's committee seems alien to the whole imbroglio.
In other words, the creation of Prof Awuzie's committee looks subversive and
double-standard.
Therefore,
as all 'Obidents' faithful are waiting anxiously for the courts to determine
who the authentic Governorship candidate is, all should keep calm and watch
where the pendulum of justice directs, even as Maduka is busy uniting the party
members in the State.
While
Imo citizens are eagerly watching political events unfold, a strong Labour
Party Governorship candidate would eventually upturn the present narrative
where one particular party and her candidate seem that all bottlenecks have
been conquered. In this case, the inferno of adoption of a particular candidate
currently razing all over the State would automatically fizzle away.
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