Posted by By UCHE USIM on
Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji has urged his supporters not to lose sleep over the recent judgment of the Election Petition Tribunal that nullified his election, assuring that victory is sure at the Appeal Court.
Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji has urged his supporters not to lose sleep over the recent judgment of the Election Petition Tribunal that nullified his election, assuring that victory is sure at the Appeal Court.
The embattled governor also said that he duly resigned his appointment as a civil servant, arguing that a man who was hauled into detention could not be not earning salaries.
Fielding questions from aviation correspondents in Lagos Wednesday evening, Gov Orji, however, said the way and manner judgments are at times delivered may dampen the spirit of the governor who has the interest of the people at heart.
He described the ruling on his case as a biased one that ought to be hurriedly appealed against.
His words "I'm confident of victory at the Appeal Court because if I don't have confidence, I will not go there. I will have victory because all the facts are there for us. Don't mind what they are saying, what PDP is saying because if you go through the judgment, they are saying that I did not resign. Having been a permanent secretary for many years, I worked in INEC, so I know the implication of non-resignation.
I did resign at the appropriate time. And they were saying I took salary in April. April I was in detention, do you take salary when you are in detention and they have never, never tendered any document to show that I receive my salary and the figures they are quoting are propaganda", he said.
On the brouhaha that he was member of a secret cult, he said all that were total falsehood. "In the first instance, that thing that they are mentioning is a shrine and I don't know anything about that shrine. They say, I am a member and they have to prove it. The man who came to court was hired and he was not listed and PDP did not take any leave of court to list the man as a witness. So that was the basis which my lawyer said I should not come to court.
I was prepared to come to court on that day because I was overseas where I had an eye operation. They told me to come back and I came back even when the wound has not even healed. The following Monday I was ready to go to court, they came and told me I should not go to answer facts from a false witness, that that man was not a listed witness.
That was why I didn't come to court. My lawyer defended me. My deputy was there to say that I was not a member of secret cult. That is why we have gone to appeal court where justice will be done."
Governor Orji, however, described the whole development as a temporary hiccup that would soon vanish.
"It will not deter me, these are temporary hiccups that will come. No reason to panic over the tribunal ruling. My planned projects will still remain and I will continue with those things that I have been doing, providing the people with the dividends of democracy. That is my mission and that is what I am doing."
On his view about the status of the judiciary in the country, he governor noted that the judiciary has a very vital role to play as it provides the people the opportunity to contest any perceived impropriety.