APGA: Stop The Imaginary Fight, Return Home—Umeh Counsels Umeoji
Chief Victor Umeh, a chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has urged Rep Chukwuma Umeoji to stop futile fight with the party and return to the fold.
Umeh gave the admonition in Awka on Tuesday while reacting to the ruling of a Court of Appeal sitting in Kano which dismissed of the Jigawa High Court sitting Birnin Kudu which gave an order that Umeoji should be recognised as candidate of APGA in Nov. 6 governorship election.
Umeh who described the CA ruling as a welcome development said the court was right and unambiguous that Jigawa High Court lacked territorial jurisdiction over an election taking place in Anambra State.
Umeh, a former national chairman of APGA also said it was a legal fact that courts did not have final say on intra party disputes.
He urged Umeoji to accept the ruling and come to terms that fate had decided that it was not time for him to enjoy sponsorship of APGA for the governorship election.
The chieftain who is chairman of APGA Peace and Reconciliation Committee said APGA did not see Umeoji as a loser in the dispute but as a worthy member who would be admitted into the fold alongside his supporters if he returned to it.
“When we saw the Jigawa High Court which tried to foist a stranger on us as our acting national chairman and the consequential order that Umeoji should be recognised as our candidate, we tried it everywhere including the media telling our supporters that it did not stand on any principle of law and does not have any bearing on our party.
“Despite our efforts, some people used that judgment to torment us and INEC which had no business recognising that judgement, so we give glory to God that judiciary has redeemed itself in Nigeria.
“As the chairman of the Peace and Reconciliation Committee of APGA, I wish to call our brother and friend Rt Hon Chuma Umeoji to come back to the party, he has been our member over the years, we supported him when it was necessary to do so, but this time the party has resolved that Prof. Chukwuma Soludo will contest the election on our behalf.
“We want to call on him to come back, we are not seeing him as a loser, he should come back, we don’t want him to leave the party, we are here waiting to join us with all his supporters, we don’t want him to strain himself further.
“Doing so will amount to effort in futility, I won’t advise my friends to continue wasting their money, the judgment had no mistakes in its delivery and considerations” he said.
