The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), on Wednesday, welcomed the judgment of the Appeal Court sitting in Lagos, which upheld the victory of Honorable Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, representing Ideato North Federal Constituency of Imo State. They described it as a significant victory for democracy.
It should be recalled that the Tribunal had earlier overturned the victory of Ugochinyere.
CUPP National Co-Spokesperson, Comrade Mark Adebayo, made this statement available to newsmen in reaction to the Appeal Court verdict. He pointed out that with the verdict, “lovers of justice and antidemocratic forces arrayed against Hon. Ugochinyere were defeated calamitously.”
“We have received with uninhibited elation the well-deserved victory of Honorable Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere at the Appeal Court today, reaffirming his victory as the duly elected member representing Ideato North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
“It is a significant victory for democracy and lovers of justice that antidemocratic forces arrayed against Honorable Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere were defeated calamitously,” CUPP said.
“Injustice, no matter how formidable, cannot upset the balance of justice. The critical mainstay of any democracy is the efficacy of the rule of law and an incorruptible judiciary that protects the innocent from the corrosive influence of power mongers who arrogate ultra vires indiscretions to themselves.
“Democracy presupposes the free choice of the people, freely expressed through the ballot. Nobody has the authority to scuttle the rights of the people to choose their representatives.
The people of Ideato had spoken through their votes by overwhelmingly electing Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere at the polls, and the Appeal Court has chosen to be on the path of justice, equity, and the people by strongly and finally reaffirming the people’s choice in this historic judgment that reinforces confidence in our judicial processes as we continue to improve our elections and democratic tenets,” it added.
CUPP, therefore, congratulated the people of Ideato as it celebrated the victory of its Spokesperson, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, for his hard-won victory at the Appeal Court.
They welcomed the verdict not only as a victory for justice and democracy but also “a disgrace to antidemocratic forces who do not understand the rudiments of fairness in competition but would rather unleash the crude terror of power to subjugate the people and silence opposition voices.”
“They have failed woefully this time, and they will continue to fail. They did everything to kill Ikenga or frame him on trumped-up allegations with a view to removing him from circulation, but all their evil shenanigans failed woefully, and they have been permanently shamed.
“The people of Ideato have nothing to fear as Hon Ikenga will continue to represent them well and ensure that not only they, but the entire people of Nigeria, are beneficiaries of creative lawmaking and uncommon leadership capabilities of Honorable Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere. Congratulations to all of us for a victory well won,” CUPP said.
. TheWitness
