The serenity of Ideato nation was jolted again on Friday as a mammoth crowd of supporters stormed the ever busy St. Peter’s Anglican Church Field, Akokwa to welcome home the opposition Coalition spokesman and PDP candidate for Ideato Federal Constituency seat, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere after his many court victories affirming his nomination.
The PDP candidate was first welcomed at the popular Ntueke Junction by thousands of his supporters from where he joined the party faithfuls in a crowded convoy to St Peter’s Anglican Church Field, Akokwa, Ideato the venue of the reception.
His arrival was however characterised by a heavy funfair, show of true love, cannon shots and acrobatic displays by Okada riders, and various dance groups.
The reception is coming barely two weeks after the Supreme Court had affirmed him as duly nominated candidate for Ideato South and North federal constituency of Imo State.
Speaking at the event yesterday Ugochinyere however dedicated his many court victories to God and the very good people of Ideato nation who had stood by him throughout the legal gymnastics orchestrated by the Imo state government to stop him ahead of the 2023 election.
Ugochinyere however vowed that he will never be intimidated by the continuous attack by state sponsored agents to cow him ahead of the 2023 election. Ugochinyere said that he was in his country home to continue with his campaign despite a renewed plot orchestrated by the Special Assistant to Governor Hope Uzodinma on Special Duties, Chinasa Nwaneri, to attack him, abduct, or arrest him over laughable trumped up charges of arson, armed robbery, kidnapping and murder.
Recall that an Abuja High Court had in a ruling this week suspended a criminal summon filed against the opposition Coalition spokesman by the same Uzodinma’s aide, Chinasa Nwaneri.
He told the crowd that his present political ordeal was not unconnected with the widespread fraud in the Voter register exposed by the opposition coalition.
He said that the governor and his cohorts who were fingered in the alleged electoral fraud are desperately working with external forces to attack him since after the revelation.
According to him those involved should rather be made to face the law and not to turn the heat on some of us that were bold enough to speak the truth”.
Ugochinyere at the event also reiterated his call for full scale restructuring of Nigeria as the only way to ensure peace, equity, justice and fair play.
He expressed the hope that restructuring would address the continued marginalization of the Igbos.
The PDP candidate assured his people of effective representation adding that the voice of Ideato nation would be heard and counted, if elected into the federal House next year.
He also commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing into law the amended Electoral Act, insisting “the law would further strengthen our electoral process if properly implemented.
“We insist on the use of BVAS and electronic transfer of all results from polling units during election.”
He told the stunned crowd that those behind the fraud in the voter register had regrouped to push for the sack of the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmud Yakubu from office or at least stop the use of BVAS in the next election .
He however reminded his people of the need to protect their election results at the various polling units to avoid rigging by those he described as anti-democratic elements who perpetuated the alleged fraud in the Voters register.
The highlife music maestro, Bright Chimezie and his Zigma band were on ground to entertain the crowd yesterday.
