By Steve Oko
Igbo youths under the aegis of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, Friday condemned the purported sack of Abia Governor-elect, Dr Alex Otti, by a Federal High Court in Kano, describing the judgement as an ambush against democracy.
COSEYL in a statement by its President General Goodluck Ibem, cautioned the judiciary against being used by desperate politicians and undemocratic forces to scuttle the Nigeria’s democracy.
The apex Igbo socio-political youth group, said Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, was the ultimate target of those behind the controversial judgement.
Igbo youths warned all those involved in any plot to distablise Abia State or any state in the South East to perish such unpatriotic idea as they will stoutly resist it.
Below is a full text of the statement made available to Vanguard:”he attention of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, the apex socio-political youth group in the South East geopolitical zone have been drawn to a court judgement by a Federal High Court in Kano State filed by Mr. Ibrahim Haruna Ibrahim who is not even an indigene of Abia State or any Igbo speaking state nullifying the candidature of Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, the Governor-Elect of Abia and other candidates elected on the platform of the Labour Party, LP in Abia State.
“This judgement and those sponsoring it are doing so because they believe that Abia State being the only State presently having a Governor-elect under the Labour Party, LP, will sponsor her Presidential candidate Mr. Peter Obi,s Presidential ElectionTribunal matter which the Labour party failed the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“This evil plot by fifth columnist who wants to cause a war between the Igbos and the North will fail in this attempt to cause more ethnic tension that has already been heightened by the outgoing administration.
“No Igbo man have failed any matter against any Northern governor, while will the North try to scuttle the joy of Abia people and Ndigbo. This nonsense has to stop immediately.
“Dr. Alex Chioma Otti and the Labour Party, LP, submitted the register of their party members within the time frame as stipulated by the 2022 Electoral law and any thing to the contrary was manufactured of the person who filed the matter and his sponsors. The truth remains that the Labour Party, followed all due process before the primaries of their party and so should be left alone.
“Igbo youths are seriously warning all those who wants to scuttle the joy of Abians to desist from it else they will have Igbo youths to contend with. Abia State should not be used as a ground for target practice to undermine our hard-earned democracy.
“We call on the Governor-Elect Dr Alex Otti to remain undaunted and focus to build Abia of our dream while appealing the matter at the Federal Court of Appeal.
“We warn the APC and her cohorts to leave Abians to enjoy this fresh air brought to Abia State by God through Dr Alex Otti. “
Source: Vanguard
