Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has denied rejecting the gubernatorial candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Bernard Odoh, along with their supporters in his administration.
The State Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor, made this clarification in a statement signed and released to the press in Abakaliki on Saturday.
He stated that the governor never intended to withhold forgiveness, accommodation, or cooperation from his election challengers in court.
in his administration.
Okpor stated, “For the purpose of setting the records straight, the governor, in his usual forthrightness and sincerity of heart, simply narrated the arduous and unpleasant experiences he had during the avoidable litigations from the tribunal through the Appeal to the Supreme Court, where it was finally ruled in his favor.
“The Governor merely expressed his dissatisfaction with the fact that one of them reneged on his words by serving him a lawsuit notice a day after their meeting, an action the Governor considers contradictory to his internalised values of integrity and reliability. He regretted the unwarranted prolonged litigations brought to the government and people of the state, and wished it had never happened.
“Governor Nwifuru did not, in any way, condemn his opponents for seeking redress according to their conscience in courts of competent jurisdiction. Recall that the governor, being a professing and practical democrat, after winning at the polls, immediately reached out to his opponents with the olive branch which was unfortunately rebuffed,” he explained.
Okpor further revealed the committed efforts of the state governor, Francis Nwifuru, to accommodate and work with all stakeholders, ensuring that the people of the state, regardless of political affiliation, are at peace and united for the development of the state.
“The governor, not relenting, for the good and unity of the state, still approached them individually to sheath their swords, but they were still recalcitrant. Their going to court, though a huge miscalculation on their part, was considered by the Governor as the best approach, which has eventually brought to rest all the divergent interests, paving the way for a possible corporate action by all and sundry towards the development and continued oneness of the state,” he stressed.
He, however, called on Odii, Odoh, and other well-meaning citizens of the state to ignore any allegations or reports that suggest that the governor rejected accommodating them or their supporters in his government.
“We hereby call on all and sundry whose sensibilities may have been insulted by the uninformed report to discountenance the content as it does not well represent the expressions of the Governor at the meeting,” he added.
