Abuja – For the second time in a month, Imo people yesterday, shut down Owerri, the Imo State capital, to demand the reinstatement of the recently removed governor, Emeka Ihedioha into office.
Recall that the Supreme Court had sacked Ihedioha and named Senator Hope Uzodinma as the elected Governor of Imo State.
Men and women, as well as youths had converged as early as 10am at the Owerri people sacred land, Ugwu Ekwema, along the busy Mbaise-Egbu road bearing placards with inscriptions addressed to the apex court jurists.
Some of the banners read “Supreme Court, Return Ihedioha back to office”; “ On Ihedioha’s mandate we stand”; “Give us Ihedioha, our governor” amongst other inscriptions.
Others read “We totally reject the Supreme Court Imposition on Imo. We Imo People will never accept an unelected governor; Supreme Court must reverse this dubious judgment; Imo people never elected Hope Uzodinma governor; Ihedioha is our elected governor”.
Erstwhile Secretary to the State Government, Chief Uche Onyeagocha while addressing newsmen during the protest said , “the people are unhappy with the verdict of the Supreme Court as it does not reflect their wishes for a greater Imo state.”
According to him, “the Supreme Court declared a man who did not win an election as the governor of the state, noting that Senator Hope Uzodinma finished fourth in the 2019 governorship election but was wrongfully declared as the governor of the state.”
He explained that everyone with good conscience knows that Uzodinma did not win even as he added that the people will never accept such an imposition by the Supreme Court.
Onyeagocha maintained that the Supreme Court had enmeshed themselves in criticisms saying , “they must redeem their image by reversing the judgment hence, restoring Emeka Ihedioha as the duly elected governor of the state.’’ He added that the people will continue the protest until the Supreme Court does the right thing.
He said “The Supreme Court declared a man who did not win an election as a governor and the Supreme Court knows that they have messed up. They know that they have brought shame to the nation’s Judiciary. The Judgment is unacceptable to Nigerians and to the peaceful people of Imo in particular.
He explained that ,” The protest is to give the them the opportunity to correct the grave error in their judgment which has made Nigeria Judiciary a laughing stock in the comity of nations. We are asking them to vacate that dubious judgment by restoring Emeka Ihedioha as the duly elected governor because it is inexplicable for the Supreme Court to declare a man who finished a distant fourth as a winner. We will continue this protest till we get Justice”, he maintained.
Further, he said the election of PDP’s Hon Jerry Alagbaoso in a rerun involving Uzodinma’s area last weekend, shows that Imo people do not want him and will not vote him saying “we voted Ihedioha and he know it”.
On his part, the acting chairman of the Imo state Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), Martins Ejiogu said that the Supreme Court should restore Emeka Ihedioha as duly elected by the people of Imo state as it is a great disservice to deny the people of their choice.
“We are insisting that the Supreme Court should restore the duly elected governor of the state Emeka Ihedioha. The Supreme Court has to restore their honour and win back the confidence of Nigerians in the Judiciary by reversing the dubious judgment against the people of Imo state . This is because , what they did was great disservice to the people of the state.”
While a former director general, Imo state Orientation Agency, Martins Opara said that Imo People will not accept the imposition by the Supreme Court.
“Imo People have resolved not to accept any imposition by the Supreme Court because even the Man they want to impose on the state knows that he did not even win any election in 2019 and he is not the choice of Imo people”.
