The Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has decried the nationwide protest organised by the Peoples Democratic Party rejecting the Supreme Court judgement that declared him the governor of the state.
Uzodinma made the remark on Monday, while addressing supporters of the All Progressives Congress, who occupied the streets of Owerri in a solidarity rally for the party.
He charged the Federal Government to call the PDP and its supporters to order, saying that the situation could degenerate to anarchy, if not checked.
He further called on Imo residents to go about their normal businesses without fear of harassment and described the Supreme Court victory as divine.
He said: “I am calling on the Federal Government to look into issues concerning the protest and caution the PDP against possible anarchy.
“I call on you to go about your businesses without any fear of harassment.
“My victory is divine and only God can remove me from office because I credibly won the election as has been affirmed by the highest court of our land.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the supporters carried placards with different inscriptions such as “Hope for Imo”, “Uzodinma we know”, and “On Supreme Court judgement we stand”.
Some of the supporters described the PDP protest as “infantile”, adding that it was “dead on arrival.”
A former member of the House of Representatives and former Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly, Goodluck Opiah, advised PDP to accept the judgement in the spirit of sportsmanship.
He expressed confidence in Uzodinma’s ability to pilot the affairs of the state and assured Imo residents of better times ahead.
Opiah said: “In the last election, I contested for House of Representatives seat and lost.
“When the Tribunal and Appeal Court affirmed my opponent’s victory, I wished him well.
“I expect the PDP to do the same in the interest of democracy.
“I have complete confidence that Uzodinma means well for Imo people and there is a lot he can achieve without distractions of this nature.”
Another APC faithful and former member of the Imo State House of Assembly, George Egu, said with the APC in Imo, better times were ahead for the southeast.
Egu cautioned against possible disintegration of the zone, adding that Uzodinma’s emergence would give the zone better negotiating power for the 2023 presidency.
He said: “This is time to come together and take advantage of the situation on ground by lending our support to Uzodinma for the overall good of the southeast.
“With APC in Imo, the South East will have a better bargaining power for the most coveted office of the land in 2023.”
NAN reports that PDP on Sunday held a nationwide protest challenging the January 14 Supreme Court judgement, which nullified the election of Chief Emeka Ihedioha.
