…we won’t beg you to withdraw case – Soludo camp fires back
Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 6, 2021 governorship election in Anambra state, Senator Andy Uba, has disclosed that he has enough evidence to show that he won the election and that the process was highly rigged.
Uba through the Deputy Director of his campaign organization, Ikechukwu Onyia, told newsmen on Saturday in Awka the state capital that he would not withdraw his petition pending before the State election petition tribunal
He said .there was no going back to the petition because the election was characterized by massive electoral malpractices.”
According to Onyia,” his votes at some places like Abatete and Oba in Idemili North were not recorded.
He pointed out that the INEC declaration of the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof. Charles Soludo as the winner of the election was wrong and should be reversed.
The APC chieftain explained that Uba’s determination to diligently pursue his petition is propelled by his genuine desire to use the instrumentality of government to set new development agenda for the state.
“It is pertinent to emphasize for the umpteenth time that Senator Uba’s determination to diligently pursue his petition is propelled by his genuine desire to use the instrumentality of government to set new development agenda for the state and prove that Anambra can be better than what it currently is under APGA’s 16 years watch.”
Speaking in Awka on Saturday, the Head, Media Affairs, Soludo Campaign Organisation, Mr Joe Anatune, said the party’s victory would be upheld by the court because the election was the peaceful, free, and fair.
Anatune noted that both Soludo and APGA would be waiting for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Andy Uba, in court “with evidence to defend Soludo’s victory.”
Anatune said, “We are prepared to go to court because we know the people have spoken through their votes and there is nothing the other candidates can prove to counter the will of the people.”
Anatune revealed that all the stakeholders in Anambra have urged Uba to accept defeat and congratulate Soludo, but “he has made up his mind to go to court and there is nothing anybody can do.”
He said the party had no plan to reach out to Uba to withdraw his petition except the fact that they are calling on all Anambra people, including Uba to join hands in moving Anambra forward.
He said, “All those who contested have congratulated Soludo, but Uba still wants to go to court, whatever the situation, APGA and Soludo are also prepared to go to court because the truth must be told that the election was the most peaceful, freest and fairest in recent history, but in democracy, you can’t stop somebody from going to court.
“What happened was that the Uba camp was caught with pants down by the BVAS system that INEC introduced for that election. The system, to a large extent, curbed over voting and the result any candidate got was the demonstration of the love the people have for him.
“If there is anybody who can rig that election, it was Uba. We are surprised that he is saying that the election was rigged in favour of somebody. INEC did a good job, and everybody has been praising them including the APC.
“What is happening in Anambra is that the people are excited to work with Soludo because of the vision he has for them and they are saying, ‘Anambra is not Imo;’ so that what happened in Imo should not happen in Anambra because the people have spoken.”
One of the lawyers for Soludo, Sylvester Ezeokenwa, stated that the Soludo team had reached out to Uba, saying there no hope of him withdrawing his petition.
Ezeokenwa said, “Uba’s hope is solely hinged on the belief that that the judges can be compromised. I have seen the petition and as far as I am concerned, he has no case.”
