Chief Emeka Bekee, the Secretary, All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers, says the victory of Chief Andrew Uchendu at the Rivers Election Petition Tribunal is a confirmation of the party’s popularity.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tribunal, sitting in Abuja, on Thursday declared Uchendu as the winner of the December re-run election for Rivers East Senatorial seat.
The tribunal also ordered INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return from Mr George Sekibo (PDP) and give it to Uchendu as the duly elected senator representing Rivers-East Senatorial District.
Bekee told NAN in Port Harcourt on Thursday that the party was very delighted.
“As a party, we are very delighted because when we told Rivers people that PDP took our mandate, we believed that the tribunal would do justice to it.
“We strongly believe that the appeal tribunal will affirm what the lower tribunal has done.
“As an APC member, I can tell you that the party is very delighted, happy and satisfied with the judgment.”
Bekee urged the APC party members to remain strong and focused.
In his reaction, Dr Chidi Lloyd, the immediate past majority Leader of the Rivers House of Assembly, said that the victory was in support of the party’s message that politicians should allow votes to count.
“It only confirms what we have been saying that people should learn how to win elections and not to use crude means.
“The cookies have started crumbling; Rivers people know how Sen. Sekibo was declared winner,” he said.
Lloyd alleged that INEC’s returning officer for the River-East Senatorial election was forced at gunpoint, and after being beaten, to declare the sacked Senator the winner. (NAN)
OAS/JEO/NKO
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