Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, has revealed that he took his election petition to the appellate court in order to prove a point by fighting election brigandage and impunity, which he claimed was the order of the day during last general election in the state.

He was speaking weekend against the backdrop of the December 7 judgement by the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu nullifying Uche Ekwunife’s election and and ordering a fresh ballot for Anambra Central Senatorial District within 90 days.

Speaking with journalists in Awka, Umeh described the March 28 senatorial election in Anambra Central as a monumental fraud hinged on brigandage and impunity.

He alleged that the lapses recorded during the senatorial election sailed through because the presidential election took place the same day, adding that security agencies were specifically mobilised to work for the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in all the elections.

In a show of confidence, the former APGA National Chairman said: “Today, we have a government that is averse to impunity and cutting corners.

“Today, things have really changed for good. Today, we don’t have a Nigerian First Lady who would stay in Abuja and threaten the businesses of Anambra people if they fail to vote for the PDP.

“My opponent knows she is already out of the re-run election because those factors that encouraged brigandage and impunity in the March 28 polls are no longer here with us.”

Umeh hailed the judiciary for sustaining the confidence reposed in it by the common man.

Reacting to the statement made by his opponent, Mrs Ekwunife, who described the Court of Appeal judgement as “a Father Christmas judgement”, Umeh said he would not want to join issues with anybody who would want to bring the Nigerian judiciary into disrepute.

He noted that topmost in his petition prayers was for the court to make any pronouncement it deemed fit in the circumstance of going through the petition.

In his words, “With this covering the field petition, it was wrong for my opponent to say that the court gave me what I did not demand for and therefore was a Father Christmas.”

•Photo shows Victor Umeh.

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