Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has declared that his former election rivals, Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii of the PDP and Benard Odoh of APGA, have no place in his administration after dragging him to court over the 2023 gubernatorial election.
Nwifuru made the remarks while addressing supporters and stakeholders who gathered to celebrate his victory at the Supreme Court. He narrated his encounters with Odii and Odoh, claiming he attempted to reconcile with them but was met with deceit.
According to him: “The two gentlemen- Odii, Odoh and I were born the same year, contested the same election in 2023.
“We became famous the same year. And we contested for the same governorship position. I approached each of them that couldn’t make it to be the governor.
“All of us have good manifestos, showing that our interest is to serve our people. If our interest is to serve, then we should come together and serve our people.
“Our interest shouldn’t be who to go to court to pervert or buy judgement, but the Supreme Court has proved them wrong, showing that justice is not for sale.
“I travelled to meet with Odii at his office in Lagos State; we agreed that he is going to withdraw the case; at the end of the day, the next morning I was served. And when I called him, he kept turning me up and down.
“Sincerely, I’m highly disturbed because he is a young man that is still growing. I called Odoh, and he told me that we are fighting for the Abakaliki zone.
“Two of them were the first people that I called after winning the election. Both of them never congratulated me. They took me to the court, and it is not that the election was rigged. I won the election, free and fair.
“People said that I should extend the hand of fellowship to them- for what will I do that?
“They have gone to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court has ruled in my favour, against their wish. They have experience but the experience of Ebonyians superseded their own; they should hold their experience, I don’t need it.”
“Odii is agreeing to the judgment because he knows that there is no other place to go after the Supreme Court.
“He wants his supporters to support me, they should not because I don’t need them. Let me serve those who worked for me first,” he declared.
