Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, refutes the claim of rejecting gubernatorial candidates Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Bernard Odoh of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), along with their supporters in his administration. The State Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor, clarified this in a statement issued in Abakaliki on Saturday.
According to Okpor, the governor did not intend to withhold forgiveness, accommodation, or cooperation from his election challengers in court. He explained that the governor, in an honest and straightforward manner, recounted the challenges he faced during the litigations from the tribunal to the Supreme Court, where he ultimately emerged victorious.
Okpor emphasized that the governor expressed dissatisfaction with one of the candidates for serving a lawsuit notice a day after a meeting, considering it contradictory to values of integrity and reliability. Governor Nwifuru regretted the prolonged litigations brought to the government and people of the state and wished they had not occurred.
The commissioner clarified that the governor did not condemn opponents for seeking redress in courts of competent jurisdiction. Governor Nwifuru, a committed democrat, extended an olive branch to his opponents after winning the polls, which was rebuffed.
Despite the opposition’s refusal to cooperate, Governor Nwifuru made persistent efforts to reach out to them individually for the unity and development of the state. Okpor considered their decision to go to court a miscalculation but acknowledged that it brought an end to divergent interests, paving the way for possible collaboration for the state’s development.
Okpor urged Odii, Odoh, and other citizens to disregard any allegations suggesting that the governor rejected accommodating them or their supporters in his government. He called on everyone to dismiss such reports, emphasizing that they do not accurately represent the governor’s sentiments expressed during the meeting.