Emeka Jilly Ejiowhor
Following the recent appeal court judgment on the governorship tussle between Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Governor of Rivers State, and his predecessor, Barr. Celestine Omehia, the governorship candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance, (APGA) in the last April 26 governorship election in the state, there was pandemonium and mixed reactions from the people of the state over the matter.
The appeal court granted the request of Omehia’s petition and referred the case back to another tribunal for hearing after the tribunal sitting inPort Harcourthad dismissed the suit,.
The latest was from a prominent Chief inRiversState, His Royal Highness, Chief Owabie Tobin, the Eze Onumini 1 of Port Harcourt LGA.
In a chat with the Political Editor of The Newswriter, Chief Owabie Tobin wondered why people who lost election take their matter to court after knowing fully well that they cannot be victorious at the end of the day.
He recalled how Barr. Celestine Omehia had boasted during the campaign of the last April 26, 2011 governorship election in Rivers state claiming that he would defeat Amaechi the incumbent governor of the state but was flabbergasted when governor Amaechi defeated him with a huge number of votes. He expressed belief that Amaechi will floor him again and put him to shame at the end of the tribunal because Amaechi’s victory was a divine intervention to rescue the people of the state.
According to him, “Prior to the election, I predicted the victory of governor Amaechi and advised Omehia as a brother not to take part in the election rather he should support Amaechi because if he contest against Amaechi his cousin, he will fail. But Omehia went against my prediction and contested against his cousin and lost at the election. After his defeat, I warned him once again not to sue Amaechi in court on his victory but he refused and went ahead. I am predicting again that he will fail again”.
The Royal Father commended governor Amaechi for completing and commissioning part of the Agip fly over and recalled how the roads around the flyover has been deplorable and a death trap for all road users who ply the road, giving chance to critics against Governor Amaechi-led administration, stressing that the Chairman of the Governors Forum have put them to shame for completing and commissioning the flyover recently.
He also lauded governor Amaechi for the successful celebration of the 51st Independent Anniversary on October, 1, 2011.
Chief Owabie Tobin also commended Hon. Chimbiko Akarolo, the Mayor of Port Harcourt, over his victory at the tribunal sitting in Port Harcourt on petition against him by his opponent in the 21st May 2011 chairmanship election.
The Eze Onumini 1 of Port Harcourt called on some Rebisi people who were expressing grudges against Mrs. Nsiegbe’s election into the Federal House of Representative not to worry.
According to him, the people of Rebisi in Port Harcourt LGA have accused governor Amaechi for imposing Mrs. Blessing Nsiegbe who is married to Hon. Charles Nsiegbe to represent them at the Federal House of Representative.
They alleged that Blessing Nsiegbe is only a wife to Hon. Charles Nsiegbe and not an indigene of the area and therefore ought not to represent them. Chief Owabie advised the people of Rebisi not to see Mrs. Nsiegbe as a non indigene of the area but as part of them since she is married to their brother.
Chief Tobin who used Rev. Dr. Benson Idahosa to buttress his argument recalled that when Rev. Dr. Idahosa died, his wife Margaret Idahosa took over as the leader of the church. The members of the church were having grudges against her but Mrs. Idahosa told them not to be against her rather they should call her the brother of her husband, Rev. Benson Idahosa.
Chief Tobin therefore, advised the people of Rebisi to call Mrs. Blessing Abiba Nsiegbe as a brother to Charles Nsiegbe to stop grudges against her. #####
