SUPREME COURT RULING: At Last We have Been Vindicated

When in the early hours of Saturday the 20th of October we the avid supporters of Sen. Magnus Ngei Abe began to read false posts on various platforms of  the Nigerian social media that he has dumped the All Progressives Congress APC for the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, most of us who know him very well became aware that the posts will not be unconnected with the devious plots of the faction opposed to his emergence as the bonafide flag bearer of the party in the state for the forthcoming governorship election slated for March next year to paint him in bad especially within the National Working Committee of the party in Abuja.

This is not the first time they have resorted to such desperation to taint the loyal member of our great party in bad light so as to use such cheap blackmail to make their case against the fearless Ogoni born Senator. The blackmail was quickly nipped in the bud not with the reaction from the Senator through his media aide Mr. Parry Benson who debunked the rumour while insisting that Sen. Abe remained a loyal member of the party.

The evil ploy of the Ojukaye Flag Amachree led faction which was masterminded by its spokesman Mr. Chris Fynebone was finally made open when the Nigerian Supreme Court- the highest court in the land ruled on the matter brought before it on the issue of the conduct of the illegal congresses in the party that took place in May this year. The ruling of the Apex court which rubbished that of the Appeal Court in June clearly stated what Nigerians have come to associate the Ojukaye faction of the party in the state which is crass impunity.

The respected Supreme Court Justices while delivering the ruling through Centus Nweze held that the decision of the Appeal Court was in error to have entertained the  appeal brought to it by a party (faction) in the case which was clearly disobedient to the ruling of a substantive court of law. The Supreme court verdict described the attitude of the Ojukaye faction as completely impudent and which must not be entertained. While setting aside the various congresses that was held that led to the illegal emergence of Flag Amachree Ojukaye, the Supreme Court verdict said the Supreme Court is the highest court in the land and its verdict must be respected.

Considering the attitude of the former governor as it concerns maximum use of impunity and the various interpretations they have given to the ruling which clearly was against them, I will not be surprised that they will want to display their knack for disrespecting constituted authourities by insisting that their candidate should fly the party's flag. But what I will be surprised about is if the party at the National level especially its National Working Committee NWC and Mr. President allow them to continue in their plan to rubbish the party and respect for rule of law in order to satisfy their whims and caprices. This will not be acceptable by supporters of the party and Nigerians irrespective of party affiliation.

It will be wrong to state that the party does not have a candidate for the forthcoming elections considering that there is a bonafide State Executive of the party which also conducted the direct primaries that threw up candidates for the polls next year. This EXCO is led by Peter Odike and the EXCO has not been dismantled in anyway especially considering the injunction of the state High Court in May this year and subsequently the Supreme Court just yesterday.

The All Progressives Congress APC which has suffered so much publicity issues due to impunity as displayed by the likes of Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi who incidentally became who he is today due to the verdict of the Supreme Court, has a a date with history by ensuring it respects the verdict of the highest court in the land and recognising Sen. Magnus Ngei Abe as its candidate for the governorship election next year. It is a win win situation for them because aside been seeen as a law abiding party,  Sen. Abe is the most popular and acceptable candidate that can guarantee the party victory come March next year. The Transport Minister will understand with the party apparatchik to have danced to his tune all this while but that dance has been cut off by the patriotic ruling of the Supreme Court which has shown itself as the hope of the common man.

The Supreme Court in its verdict has stated that allowing APC to retain the outcome of the ward, local government and state congresses conducted, would amount to a reward for disobedience. The question on the lips of all party faithful in the state and the country in general is if the party will allow such disobedience to continue or do the needful by recognising the candidature of Magnus Abe so as to wrest power from the Peoples Democratic Party PDP come 2019.