The All Progressives Congress (APC) has appealed to Abia governorship aspirant Uche Ogah to collapse his political structure and work for Ikechi Emenike.

Friday Nwosu, the party’s National Welfare Secretary, in its National Working Committee (NWC), made the appeal while speaking with reporters at the party’s national secretariat on Friday in Abuja.

The Supreme Court recently declared Mr Emenike as the authentic APC Abia governorship candidate.

Mr Nwosu expressed optimism that APC had all it takes to wrest power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by winning the forthcoming March 11 governorship election.

“I have thought it wise to address you in respect of the Supreme Court judgment on the primary election for Abia governorship candidate of the APC between Uche Ogah and Ikechi Emenike.

“In May 2022, our party conducted primaries into elective positions across the country, and for Abia, the party decided to conduct indirect primary, that is delegates’ primary election.

“This was agreed at the NWC meeting with the State Executive Committee of the party before we implemented it.

“The NWC sent delegates to Abia equipped with materials and directives to conduct indirect primary, prior to that, the party had conducted Ward and Local Government congresses where delegates were elected,” he said.

Mr Nwosu added that before the primary election, a particular aspirant came up with a letter claiming that the party’s leadership had ordered a direct primary.

“I know of truth that the letter was immediately withdrawn because it was not decided by the NWC.

“On the day in question, the aspirants and delegates gathered at Chidiebere Park, Umuahia, and conducted indirect election where Ikechi Emenike emerged.

“But Ogah organised direct primary in a very small hall at Umuahia central stadium, claiming that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored the primary election,” Mr Nwosu said.

This, he said, resulted in several litigations from some of the party’s members until the case got to the Supreme Court.

“We told him that he (Ogah) cannot win an unlawful exercise just because he claimed that INEC monitored the primary.

“Now that the highest court of the land has ruled, all we ask of him is to sheath his sword and collapse his structure into our own.

“He has tried by dragging the matter up to the Supreme Court, now is the time to bring his supporters to join us and ensure we win the coming election,” Mr Nwosu stressed. 

(NAN)