The Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party /PDP Ebonyi State Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has berated the State government, for the imposition of N 5 million levy on political parties for the use of schools and markets for rallies.
Chief Odii expressed his reservations on Sunday while addressing newsmen during the Special Thanksgiving Service of Senator Obinna Ogba, held at Christ the King Catholic Church Nkalagu Ebonyi State.
He said that the Electoral Act stipulates in clear terms the conduct of rallies by political parties.
According to him, “the imposition of the levy is unconstitutional and against the Electoral Act.”
“The Electoral Act supercedes every other law of any state, we will resist the imposition of the levy”
The PDP Governorship Candidate denied insinuations in some quarters of any division in the party, describing PDP as one family.
‘PDP remains one family, we are working together, my presence in Senator Ogba residence today is an indication we are one family”
Meanwhile ,the Senator representing Ebonyi Central Senatorial zone, Chief Obinna Ogba, has insisted that he has no plans to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party, contrary to insinuations in some quarters.
Chief Ogba had contested the governorship ticket of the PDP, but lost to Dr Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii following the Supreme Court ruling on October,21, 2022, which recognised the latter as the duly elected governorship candidate of the party.
Ogba informed newsmen at his country home Nkalagu Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State during a thanksgiving event, that he has accepted the verdict of the court.
“The outcome of the judgement may not be what we wanted or what we worked hard for and I am sorry that we didn’t win this legal tussle for the values we share and vision we had for Ebonyi State and Ebonyians.”
The PDP chieftain, however, said he felt fulfilled and grateful to God Almighty for the rare opportunity offered to him.
He also thanked God that no life was lost throughout the political tussle.
“I will always be grateful to God almighty that though the just-concluded political differences laced with legal tussle took our time but not our lives”
“It dragged our patience and at times hung our emotions to the level of tension but it never led to flexing of muscles in a show of brutality not to talk of the death of a single soul,”
“In every contest, the human plan is always to win but nature always has a way of letting us win some and lose some most times for a better alternative.”
Ogba reiterated that he had forgiven “those who in any way or manner willingly betrayed our just cause.”
According to him, “lessons have been learnt, more knowledge acquired and who knows what God has driven away from us intentionally to our own disbelief, and the things he has in abundance for us ahead”
“In all, I passionately hold the Nigerian Judiciary to a high esteem. I agree with the words of My Lord Justice Oputa, ‘We are final, not because we are infallible, we are infallible because we are final’
