The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in
Enugu State has pleaded with its governorship candidate in the March 9
governorship election held in the state to concede defeat and congratulate the
winner and incumbent governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of the Peoples’s Democratic
Party (APC).
Ugwuanyi had won the election with a wide margin in the contest Eze announced he boycotted because the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to include his name as candidate of the APC in the commission’s manifest.
Addressing newsmen on Tuesday in Enugu, the stakeholders represented by Messrs Okosisi Chinedu, Victor Nwankwoand Mr. Uche Okoye of Enugu north, west and east senatorial districts respectively, alleged that it was Eze who caused his own defeat at the poll.
They frowned at the objection raised by the APC candidate about the party’s agent, Mr. Adolphus Ude who signed the governorship result at INEC office after it was announced.
The stakeholders reminded Eze that the state party chairman, Dr. Ben Nwoye and Ude were appointed as state party agents in INEC for the 2019 elections at Senator Ken Nnamani’s country home in Eze’s presence.
“To our greatest surprise, a candidate of our party without the authorization of the national working committee of the party on his own volition boycotted his election and equally ordered the party candidates to boycott their house of assembly elections. This action alone portrayed him as a betrayer and sell-out to the party. We are not expecting a better result than what we already have.
“If not for the efforts of the minister of foreign affairs, who toured all the 17 local government areas of Enugu State campaigning and canvassing for votes, the party would have been in a worse situation than what we have now.
“Ayogu Eze came back from a self-imposed political exile on the last day of campaigns stipulated by INEC. He never campaigned for one day. One wonders the type of miracle he expected. We advise him to accept his self-inflicted humiliation and concede defeat honourably,” they said.
