Former APGA national Chairman and senatorial candidate of the Labour Party, Sen Victor Umeh (OFR), has once again affirmed that he remains the candidate of the Labour party for the Anambra Central Senatorial zone, not minding the court judgement that nullified his candidacy a week ago.
He made the affirmation while appearing as a guest on Alpha Radio 106.5Fm’s political program tagged Political Heat hosted by Emmanuel Asiegbunam (Mr E on The Mic).
Sen Victor Umeh condemned the judgement as a miscarriage of justice and a judicial summersault since the plaintiff (Sen Uche Ekwunife of PDP) lacked the locus standi to initiate the suit and the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain it ab initio. He cited a ruling by the same court in 2022 on a case filed by the Anambra north candidate of the YPP Sen Ifeanyi Uba against the APGA candidate Hon Chris Azubogu. The same court under same judge had ruled then that Sen Ifeanyi Uba not being a member of APGA, lacked the locus standi to initiate the suit in the first place. He also cited recent Supreme Court judgement on PDP vs Oyetola , APC and others in which the Supreme Court affirmed that only members of a political party who contested the primaries can challenge the outcome of the primary in court. The Supreme Court called the PDP “meddlesome interlopers”. Sen Victor Umeh then wondered why the Trial Judge in his case, could assume jurisdiction over a matter that the Supreme Court had ruled on several times. He also revealed that the suit was filed out of time and was therefore incompetent.
Ohamadike explained that having filed an Appeal against the judgement in the Court of Appeal Awka, he is therefore free to resume his campaigns which he had temporarily suspended as a result of the judgement. He called the judgement a “temporary set back… hatchet job by political opponents and some incompetent contestants who are envious of the widespread acceptance of my candidacy by the electorates” He urged his supporters and the public not to be intimidated as the court of Appeal would definitely set aside the “flawed judgement”.
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Responding to a caller who asked him what he would do differently if elected to return to the 10th Senate, the Senator decried the current lopsidedness in federal projects, allocations and appointments by the federal government and vowed to resist such and ensure that Federal Character is entrenched in all government policies and programs as he did in the 8th Senate. Sen Victor Umeh (Ohamadike) assured the public of his readiness to offer bold, dogged and active representation at the Red Chambers even more than he did in his first stint at the Senate in 2018. He gave his scorecard for the 17 months and promised not to relent in his fight to ensure that his constituency and indeed the entire south east is given capable and competent representation at the Red Chambers.
Ohamadike further condemned the floppy implementation of the Naira re-design and withdrawal policies and warned that policies with good intents that are implemented inappropriately may backfire. He urged the CBN and the federal government to always consider the interest of the masses in all their policies. He also condemned the ongoing Fuel and Forex crises and traced their origins to the failure of the Legislature to checkmate the Executive, vowing to spearhead such checkmating if elected into the 10th Senate
On Peter Obi, the Senator disclosed that the Labour Party presidential candidate being the best candidate in the race, is in prime position to win the 2023 presidential election and urged all Nigerians to support him and the party. He recalled how he and Peter Obi introduced the newly formed APGA to the Anambra electorate 20 years ago and how they used the then structureless APGA, to win the gubernatorial election in the state. He revealed that he actually joined the Labour Party and emerged as candidate of the party on the invitations of Mr Peter Obi.
The Senator expressed confidence that with his track records in the 8th Assembly, his intimidating profile and widespread acceptance by the masses, he will surely emerge victorious on February 25 and be elected as senator to represent the zone. He prophetically asserted that as his name appeared at number 109 on the recently released final list of candidates by INEC; as there are 109 senators in the Red Chambers and as he was listed as the 109th Senator in the 8th Senate in 2018, he is therefore destined to be part of the 10th Assembly in 2023. He urged Nigerians to vote for him and for his party’s candidates at all levels so as to give the much needed support to Peter Obi when he becomes president of the New Nigeria everyone yearns for.
