Reactions have continued to trial last Friday’s ruling by the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri, Imo State, that Senator Mao Ohuabunwa was the winner of the March 5, 2016 rerun election for Abia North Senatorial district.

Savouring his hard-fought victory, Senator Ohuabunwa, said he was happy the protracted battle for the Abia North Senatorial seat has finally ended in his favour, while the Transition Chairman of Arochukwu Local Government Area, Chief Abraham Amah, said Ohuabunwa now has the opportunity to attract federal presence to the zone as another PDP stalwart, Chief Nwabueze Okoro, urged Ohuabunwa’s opponents to work with the Senator.

The Appeal Court, had last Friday, sealed the senatorial ambition of Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, a former Governor of Abia State and the Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA) candidate in the 2015 senatorial election in Abia North. Kalu lost at the polls to Ohuabunwa but challenged the victory in court.

While the lower tribunal sitting in Umuahia, Abia State, upheld Ohuabunwa’s victory, the Appeal Court in Owerri quashed it and ordered a rerun.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted the rerun on March 5 this year with Ohuabunwa emerging victorious again.

Kalu raced to the tribunal again. The lower tribunal affirmed Ohuabunwa’s victory at the polls and the petitioner moved to the Appeal Court.

In its judgement last Friday, the Appeal Court agreed with the lower tribunal, and dismissed Kalu’s petition following his inability to prove the allegations he raised against Ohuabunwa.

Reacting to the court verdict in his favour, Ohuabunwa said he was happy the tussle for the Senatorial seat has finally ended in his favour.

“The truth has prevailed,” Ohuabunwa said during a telephone chat, while entreating Kalu to join hands with him in building Abia North which, he said, “needs serious infrastructural rejuvenation.”

The Senator declared that he has forgiven those who took him through this long battle and commended the judiciary for remaining the last hope of the common man, as well as PDP leaders in the state for their prayers while the tussle lasted.

He assured the people of Abia North that their mandate would not be misplaced, adding that he was now poised to ensure that the zone gets the desired infrastructural transformation.

Counsel to Ohuabunwa, Barr. Austine Mbaka, expressed happiness over the Appeal Court ruling which declared his client winner based on the fact that the appellant, Kalu, was unable to prove his allegations against Ohuabunwa, adding that the case, indeed, lacked merit.

Chief Ama Abraham, described Ohuabunwa’s victories in the tribunal and at the Court of Appeal as victory for democracy and urged the Senator to strive to attract federal presence to the zone, especially the reconstruction of Arochukwu-Ohafia road which is now a death trap.

A political stalwart in Arochukwu, Chief Nwabueze Okoro, called on Kalu to embrace Senator Ohuabunwa and work with him to develop the zone and Abia State at large.

Kalu who has already congratulated Ohuabunwa following the Appeal Court ruling, said the contest was about choosing the best for the zone, adding that there was nothing personal.

•Photo shows Senator Ohuabunwa.

Update news