To the glory of God, this is the second Judgment in the various Petitions filed against me. On Wednesday, the Election Petition Tribunal in Awka dismissed the Petition of the NNPP and her Candidate for lack of merit and abuse of court process. Today also, the Petition by APGA and her Candidate was dismissed. This happened to be the big one because it generated lots of tension and hype. But I have remained calm over the period since after the Election because I knew I won the Election and I did not do anything to compromise the process. The Election went as designed by the Electoral Commission and the people of Anambra Central Senatorial District, convinced that I would represent them better than any other candidate, voted overwhelmingly for me. I scored over 103,608 votes, the person who came second scored 69,702 votes (that’s the APGA Candidate), and the PDP Candidate scored 49,532 votes. So looking at the margins, I did not see what anybody could go to the Tribunal to look for, as I was the choice of the people. But they have gone to the Tribunal to claim all sorts of things and make so much noise about them. Mine is that I am a great stickler for due process, I always study the law and I follow it judiciously.
There was a High Court Order against my nomination on the 26th of January this year but the Appeal Court set it aside on the 23rd of February (just two days before the Election) and I won. I was surprised that someone could go to the Tribunal to rely on the same Federal High Court Judgement to attempt to say that I was not a Candidate in the Election.
So, this Judgment was well considered. I commend the Tribunal because they took all the issues they raised and trashed them based on Law. So there’s nothing anybody can complain about against this Judgement.
I am happy because this Judgment has put to rest, the distractions. No matter what they intend to do further, the distractions have abated. So that I can concentrate fully on working for my people. We have a lot of work to do for them, so we must be given the space to go all out and do that work. Our people are challenged in Nigeria; my Constituency is challenged in Nigeria and I want to be allowed to confront their problems head-on.
With this victory, I think the coast is now very clear unless anybody has intentions to do anything further. But even if they do anything further, God who arranged my victory will not allow them. My victory was orchestrated by God. It was God who did everything—saw me through the Elections, gave me the victory, and today, emphatically, all Petitions have been dismissed!
September 8th is a special day for me, I am a Catholic and a Marian Devotee. I am a great follower of Mother Mary and today is Her birthday. When they scheduled the Judgment on September 8th, I knew ‘they’ had lost. So I give all the glory to God. I dedicate this victory to the Blessed Virgin Mary whose Judgement coincided with Her birthday.
I congratulate the Anambra Central people on this victory. The way they fought for me in this Election shows that they desire to have me as their Senator. I also want to thank all my supporters, my Campaign Organization, and the Ohamadike Media Team, they are very formidable. So I thank them.
I thank my Lawyers, the lead Counsels, and for me, my personal Lawyer, Sir Patrick I.N. Ikwueto SAN who has been my lawyer since 2005. All my legal exploits, every time Victor Umeh wins, it has been through his hard work. In this Petition, Chief Barrister Alexander Ejesieme SAN partnered with him. He was the lead Counsel to the Labour Party. So we all worked together. And their submissions became unassailable to see the Tribunal agreed with them in all the points of law they raised and the Petition was struck out for lacking in merit.
For those who contested the Election with me, they should evaluate their stand. It is a question of self-evaluation. It is not for me to call them to sheath their sword, because if I do so, they’ll run out and say I am begging them not to Appeal. Let them take a deep reflection and evaluate their position. I know that this victory that the Tribunal handed down today, nothing can scratch it. So it is for them to do self-retrospection and reflection over the beginning, how all these things started; they should be able to assess their actions and know whether they took the right steps or not, and if in their judgment they feel this is the time to let everything be, so be it. I do not have any grievances against anybody. But surely, some people overstepped their bounds.
I have evaluated the steps I took and I have also evaluated this Judgment, there’s nothing to pursue further. Tomorrow will be another day, Election is not something you win every time and at all costs. There are times you look at the hand of God and follow God’s directive because actually, their challenge of my Election was a challenge they put against God not me. God designed this thing that you’ve seen played out. Nobody believed it would be like this, even from the beginning, so many things were said. Some said I won’t even come 4th in the Election. I was laughing at them.
For the fact that I put everything in the hands of God, I never for one day doubted. This morning I was singing and thanking God for giving me victory even before it was read. Because the handwriting was there. There were so many judicial precedents that supported my position and I knew that God was there all the way. There was no way they would’ve defeated God. When you make your opponents contend against the wishes of God, your opponent is already destroyed. So I put them on God’s collision cause, because they saw what God did and they refused to accept it rather, they decided to play and act god. I handed the matter over to God in prayers and this is the outcome.
I know everything has ended well. There is nothing in this Judgment that anybody can fault. They did not challenge the Election because I won the Election. So they were not challenging the victory I got in the Election, instead, they went into a wild goose chase—that I was not a candidate in the Election.
So the Tribunal was invited to say that I was not a Candidate in the Election so that the 1st runner-up would be returned. So you will nullify 103,608 votes of Anambra Central people and you go on and become Senator with 69,702 votes against the wish of the people?
This is a week of so many judgments across Nigeria. The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal delivered its Judgment on Wednesday, and those who were the Petitioners are assessing the Judgment. Anybody who finds any hole in the Judgment they have delivered has the right to go to the Supreme Court. You cannot abridge any person’s right to go to ventilate his grievances in Court.
Mr. Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of our Party has decided to go to the Supreme Court. He is not a new person in this process. I have gone through this history of route with him since 2001. We went through all kinds of formidable challenges to get him to become Governor of Anambra State after three years and months in Court, he prevailed. So I commend him for his spirit of not being a violent person. He will not do anything to diminish the integrity of democracy. He is somebody I have worked with and I know that even with the Judgement delivered on Wednesday against his Petition, he is not desperate. He is not desperate! I spoke with him and he told me that he will go and test it at the Supreme Court. It is his constitutional right. We continue to pray and wish him well. What is important for Nigeria is that no matter who wins, let us think about this country. Let us think about the processes of creating our leadership. It is very important, by far more fundamental than the victory anybody can take away. Let us establish a standard where Elections will be called, everything will go smoothly and whoever loses will go home and congratulate the winner. Let people not try to subvert the process and take advantage of anything and you think that democracy will grow.
I want a democracy that our people will have confidence in and not even wait for the Court to adjudicate over election disputes. By the time we achieve the milestone of people accepting the outcomes of Elections because of the transparency of the process, that is when our democracy will grow and that is a work in progress.
Senator Dr. Victor Umeh OFR
Senator representing
Anambra Central Senatorial DistrictTo the glory of God, this is the second Judgment in the various Petitions filed against me. On Wednesday, the Election Petition Tribunal in Awka dismissed the Petition of the NNPP and her Candidate for lack of merit and abuse of court process. Today also, the Petition by APGA and her Candidate was dismissed. This happened to be the big one because it generated lots of tension and hype. But I have remained calm over the period since after the Election because I knew I won the Election and I did not do anything to compromise the process. The Election went as designed by the Electoral Commission and the people of Anambra Central Senatorial District, convinced that I would represent them better than any other candidate, voted overwhelmingly for me. I scored over 103,608 votes, the person who came second scored 69,702 votes (that’s the APGA Candidate), and the PDP Candidate scored 49,532 votes. So looking at the margins, I did not see what anybody could go to the Tribunal to look for, as I was the choice of the people. But they have gone to the Tribunal to claim all sorts of things and make so much noise about them. Mine is that I am a great stickler for due process, I always study the law and I follow it judiciously. There was a High Court Order against my nomination on the 26th of January this year but the Appeal Court set it aside on the 23rd of February (just two days before the Election) and I won. I was surprised that someone could go to the Tribunal to rely on the same Federal High Court Judgement to attempt to say that I was not a Candidate in the Election. So, this Judgment was well considered. I commend the Tribunal because they took all the issues they raised and trashed them based on Law. So there’s nothing anybody can complain about against this Judgement. I am happy because this Judgment has put to rest, the distractions. No matter what they intend to do further, the distractions have abated. So that I can concentrate fully on working for my people. We have a lot of work to do for them, so we must be given the space to go all out and do that work. Our people are challenged in Nigeria; my Constituency is challenged in Nigeria and I want to be allowed to confront their problems head-on. With this victory, I think the coast is now very clear unless anybody has intentions to do anything further. But even if they do anything further, God who arranged my victory will not allow them. My victory was orchestrated by God. It was God who did everything—saw me through the Elections, gave me the victory, and today, emphatically, all Petitions have been dismissed! September 8th is a special day for me, I am a Catholic and a Marian Devotee. I am a great follower of Mother Mary and today is Her birthday. When they scheduled the Judgment on September 8th, I knew ‘they’ had lost. So I give all the glory to God. I dedicate this victory to the Blessed Virgin Mary whose Judgement coincided with Her birthday. I congratulate the Anambra Central people on this victory. The way they fought for me in this Election shows that they desire to have me as their Senator. I also want to thank all my supporters, my Campaign Organization, and the Ohamadike Media Team, they are very formidable. So I thank them. I thank my Lawyers, the lead Counsels, and for me, my personal Lawyer, Sir Patrick I.N. Ikwueto SAN who has been my lawyer since 2005. All my legal exploits, every time Victor Umeh wins, it has been through his hard work. In this Petition, Chief Barrister Alexander Ejesieme SAN partnered with him. He was the lead Counsel to the Labour Party. So we all worked together. And their submissions became unassailable to see the Tribunal agreed with them in all the points of law they raised and the Petition was struck out for lacking in merit. For those who contested the Election with me, they should evaluate their stand. It is a question of self-evaluation. It is not for me to call them to sheath their sword, because if I do so, they’ll run out and say I am begging them not to Appeal. Let them take a deep reflection and evaluate their position. I know that this victory that the Tribunal handed down today, nothing can scratch it. So it is for them to do self-retrospection and reflection over the beginning, how all these things started; they should be able to assess their actions and know whether they took the right steps or not, and if in their judgment they feel this is the time to let everything be, so be it. I do not have any grievances against anybody. But surely, some people overstepped their bounds. I have evaluated the steps I took and I have also evaluated this Judgment, there’s nothing to pursue further. Tomorrow will be another day, Election is not something you win every time and at all costs. There are times you look at the hand of God and follow God’s directive because actually, their challenge of my Election was a challenge they put against God not me. God designed this thing that you’ve seen played out. Nobody believed it would be like this, even from the beginning, so many things were said. Some said I won’t even come 4th in the Election. I was laughing at them. For the fact that I put everything in the hands of God, I never for one day doubted. This morning I was singing and thanking God for giving me victory even before it was read. Because the handwriting was there. There were so many judicial precedents that supported my position and I knew that God was there all the way. There was no way they would’ve defeated God. When you make your opponents contend against the wishes of God, your opponent is already destroyed. So I put them on God’s collision cause, because they saw what God did and they refused to accept it rather, they decided to play and act god. I handed the matter over to God in prayers and this is the outcome. I know everything has ended well. There is nothing in this Judgment that anybody can fault. They did not challenge the Election because I won the Election. So they were not challenging the victory I got in the Election, instead, they went into a wild goose chase—that I was not a candidate in the Election. So the Tribunal was invited to say that I was not a Candidate in the Election so that the 1st runner-up would be returned. So you will nullify 103,608 votes of Anambra Central people and you go on and become Senator with 69,702 votes against the wish of the people? This is a week of so many judgments across Nigeria. The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal delivered its Judgment on Wednesday, and those who were the Petitioners are assessing the Judgment. Anybody who finds any hole in the Judgment they have delivered has the right to go to the Supreme Court. You cannot abridge any person’s right to go to ventilate his grievances in Court. Mr. Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of our Party has decided to go to the Supreme Court. He is not a new person in this process. I have gone through this history of route with him since 2001. We went through all kinds of formidable challenges to get him to become Governor of Anambra State after three years and months in Court, he prevailed. So I commend him for his spirit of not being a violent person. He will not do anything to diminish the integrity of democracy. He is somebody I have worked with and I know that even with the Judgement delivered on Wednesday against his Petition, he is not desperate. He is not desperate! I spoke with him and he told me that he will go and test it at the Supreme Court. It is his constitutional right. We continue to pray and wish him well. What is important for Nigeria is that no matter who wins, let us think about this country. Let us think about the processes of creating our leadership. It is very important, by far more fundamental than the victory anybody can take away. Let us establish a standard where Elections will be called, everything will go smoothly and whoever loses will go home and congratulate the winner. Let people not try to subvert the process and take advantage of anything and you think that democracy will grow. I want a democracy that our people will have confidence in and not even wait for the Court to adjudicate over election disputes. By the time we achieve the milestone of people accepting the outcomes of Elections because of the transparency of the process, that is when our democracy will grow and that is a work in progress. Senator Dr. Victor Umeh OFR Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District
To the glory of God, this is the second Judgment in the various Petitions filed against me. On Wednesday, the Election Petition Tribunal in Awka dismissed the Petition of the NNPP and her Candidate for lack of merit and abuse of court process. Today also, the Petition by APGA and her Candidate was dismissed. This happened to be the big one because it generated lots of tension and hype. But I have remained calm over the period since after the Election because I knew I won the Election and I did not do anything to compromise the process. The Election went as designed by the Electoral Commission and the people of Anambra Central Senatorial District, convinced that I would represent them better than any other candidate, voted overwhelmingly for me. I scored over 103,608 votes, the person who came second scored 69,702 votes (that’s the APGA Candidate), and the PDP Candidate scored 49,532 votes. So looking at the margins, I did not see what anybody could go to the Tribunal to look for, as I was the choice of the people. But they have gone to the Tribunal to claim all sorts of things and make so much noise about them. Mine is that I am a great stickler for due process, I always study the law and I follow it judiciously.
There was a High Court Order against my nomination on the 26th of January this year but the Appeal Court set it aside on the 23rd of February (just two days before the Election) and I won. I was surprised that someone could go to the Tribunal to rely on the same Federal High Court Judgement to attempt to say that I was not a Candidate in the Election.
So, this Judgment was well considered. I commend the Tribunal because they took all the issues they raised and trashed them based on Law. So there’s nothing anybody can complain about against this Judgement.
I am happy because this Judgment has put to rest, the distractions. No matter what they intend to do further, the distractions have abated. So that I can concentrate fully on working for my people. We have a lot of work to do for them, so we must be given the space to go all out and do that work. Our people are challenged in Nigeria; my Constituency is challenged in Nigeria and I want to be allowed to confront their problems head-on.
With this victory, I think the coast is now very clear unless anybody has intentions to do anything further. But even if they do anything further, God who arranged my victory will not allow them. My victory was orchestrated by God. It was God who did everything—saw me through the Elections, gave me the victory, and today, emphatically, all Petitions have been dismissed!
September 8th is a special day for me, I am a Catholic and a Marian Devotee. I am a great follower of Mother Mary and today is Her birthday. When they scheduled the Judgment on September 8th, I knew ‘they’ had lost. So I give all the glory to God. I dedicate this victory to the Blessed Virgin Mary whose Judgement coincided with Her birthday.
I congratulate the Anambra Central people on this victory. The way they fought for me in this Election shows that they desire to have me as their Senator. I also want to thank all my supporters, my Campaign Organization, and the Ohamadike Media Team, they are very formidable. So I thank them.
I thank my Lawyers, the lead Counsels, and for me, my personal Lawyer, Sir Patrick I.N. Ikwueto SAN who has been my lawyer since 2005. All my legal exploits, every time Victor Umeh wins, it has been through his hard work. In this Petition, Chief Barrister Alexander Ejesieme SAN partnered with him. He was the lead Counsel to the Labour Party. So we all worked together. And their submissions became unassailable to see the Tribunal agreed with them in all the points of law they raised and the Petition was struck out for lacking in merit.
For those who contested the Election with me, they should evaluate their stand. It is a question of self-evaluation. It is not for me to call them to sheath their sword, because if I do so, they’ll run out and say I am begging them not to Appeal. Let them take a deep reflection and evaluate their position. I know that this victory that the Tribunal handed down today, nothing can scratch it. So it is for them to do self-retrospection and reflection over the beginning, how all these things started; they should be able to assess their actions and know whether they took the right steps or not, and if in their judgment they feel this is the time to let everything be, so be it. I do not have any grievances against anybody. But surely, some people overstepped their bounds.
I have evaluated the steps I took and I have also evaluated this Judgment, there’s nothing to pursue further. Tomorrow will be another day, Election is not something you win every time and at all costs. There are times you look at the hand of God and follow God’s directive because actually, their challenge of my Election was a challenge they put against God not me. God designed this thing that you’ve seen played out. Nobody believed it would be like this, even from the beginning, so many things were said. Some said I won’t even come 4th in the Election. I was laughing at them.
For the fact that I put everything in the hands of God, I never for one day doubted. This morning I was singing and thanking God for giving me victory even before it was read. Because the handwriting was there. There were so many judicial precedents that supported my position and I knew that God was there all the way. There was no way they would’ve defeated God. When you make your opponents contend against the wishes of God, your opponent is already destroyed. So I put them on God’s collision cause, because they saw what God did and they refused to accept it rather, they decided to play and act god. I handed the matter over to God in prayers and this is the outcome.
I know everything has ended well. There is nothing in this Judgment that anybody can fault. They did not challenge the Election because I won the Election. So they were not challenging the victory I got in the Election, instead, they went into a wild goose chase—that I was not a candidate in the Election.
So the Tribunal was invited to say that I was not a Candidate in the Election so that the 1st runner-up would be returned. So you will nullify 103,608 votes of Anambra Central people and you go on and become Senator with 69,702 votes against the wish of the people?
This is a week of so many judgments across Nigeria. The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal delivered its Judgment on Wednesday, and those who were the Petitioners are assessing the Judgment. Anybody who finds any hole in the Judgment they have delivered has the right to go to the Supreme Court. You cannot abridge any person’s right to go to ventilate his grievances in Court.
Mr. Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of our Party has decided to go to the Supreme Court. He is not a new person in this process. I have gone through this history of route with him since 2001. We went through all kinds of formidable challenges to get him to become Governor of Anambra State after three years and months in Court, he prevailed. So I commend him for his spirit of not being a violent person. He will not do anything to diminish the integrity of democracy. He is somebody I have worked with and I know that even with the Judgement delivered on Wednesday against his Petition, he is not desperate. He is not desperate! I spoke with him and he told me that he will go and test it at the Supreme Court. It is his constitutional right. We continue to pray and wish him well. What is important for Nigeria is that no matter who wins, let us think about this country. Let us think about the processes of creating our leadership. It is very important, by far more fundamental than the victory anybody can take away. Let us establish a standard where Elections will be called, everything will go smoothly and whoever loses will go home and congratulate the winner. Let people not try to subvert the process and take advantage of anything and you think that democracy will grow.
I want a democracy that our people will have confidence in and not even wait for the Court to adjudicate over election disputes. By the time we achieve the milestone of people accepting the outcomes of Elections because of the transparency of the process, that is when our democracy will grow and that is a work in progress.
Senator Dr. Victor Umeh OFR
Senator representing
Anambra Central Senatorial DistrictTo the glory of God, this is the second Judgment in the various Petitions filed against me. On Wednesday, the Election Petition Tribunal in Awka dismissed the Petition of the NNPP and her Candidate for lack of merit and abuse of court process. Today also, the Petition by APGA and her Candidate was dismissed. This happened to be the big one because it generated lots of tension and hype. But I have remained calm over the period since after the Election because I knew I won the Election and I did not do anything to compromise the process. The Election went as designed by the Electoral Commission and the people of Anambra Central Senatorial District, convinced that I would represent them better than any other candidate, voted overwhelmingly for me. I scored over 103,608 votes, the person who came second scored 69,702 votes (that’s the APGA Candidate), and the PDP Candidate scored 49,532 votes. So looking at the margins, I did not see what anybody could go to the Tribunal to look for, as I was the choice of the people. But they have gone to the Tribunal to claim all sorts of things and make so much noise about them. Mine is that I am a great stickler for due process, I always study the law and I follow it judiciously. There was a High Court Order against my nomination on the 26th of January this year but the Appeal Court set it aside on the 23rd of February (just two days before the Election) and I won. I was surprised that someone could go to the Tribunal to rely on the same Federal High Court Judgement to attempt to say that I was not a Candidate in the Election. So, this Judgment was well considered. I commend the Tribunal because they took all the issues they raised and trashed them based on Law. So there’s nothing anybody can complain about against this Judgement. I am happy because this Judgment has put to rest, the distractions. No matter what they intend to do further, the distractions have abated. So that I can concentrate fully on working for my people. We have a lot of work to do for them, so we must be given the space to go all out and do that work. Our people are challenged in Nigeria; my Constituency is challenged in Nigeria and I want to be allowed to confront their problems head-on. With this victory, I think the coast is now very clear unless anybody has intentions to do anything further. But even if they do anything further, God who arranged my victory will not allow them. My victory was orchestrated by God. It was God who did everything—saw me through the Elections, gave me the victory, and today, emphatically, all Petitions have been dismissed! September 8th is a special day for me, I am a Catholic and a Marian Devotee. I am a great follower of Mother Mary and today is Her birthday. When they scheduled the Judgment on September 8th, I knew ‘they’ had lost. So I give all the glory to God. I dedicate this victory to the Blessed Virgin Mary whose Judgement coincided with Her birthday. I congratulate the Anambra Central people on this victory. The way they fought for me in this Election shows that they desire to have me as their Senator. I also want to thank all my supporters, my Campaign Organization, and the Ohamadike Media Team, they are very formidable. So I thank them. I thank my Lawyers, the lead Counsels, and for me, my personal Lawyer, Sir Patrick I.N. Ikwueto SAN who has been my lawyer since 2005. All my legal exploits, every time Victor Umeh wins, it has been through his hard work. In this Petition, Chief Barrister Alexander Ejesieme SAN partnered with him. He was the lead Counsel to the Labour Party. So we all worked together. And their submissions became unassailable to see the Tribunal agreed with them in all the points of law they raised and the Petition was struck out for lacking in merit. For those who contested the Election with me, they should evaluate their stand. It is a question of self-evaluation. It is not for me to call them to sheath their sword, because if I do so, they’ll run out and say I am begging them not to Appeal. Let them take a deep reflection and evaluate their position. I know that this victory that the Tribunal handed down today, nothing can scratch it. So it is for them to do self-retrospection and reflection over the beginning, how all these things started; they should be able to assess their actions and know whether they took the right steps or not, and if in their judgment they feel this is the time to let everything be, so be it. I do not have any grievances against anybody. But surely, some people overstepped their bounds. I have evaluated the steps I took and I have also evaluated this Judgment, there’s nothing to pursue further. Tomorrow will be another day, Election is not something you win every time and at all costs. There are times you look at the hand of God and follow God’s directive because actually, their challenge of my Election was a challenge they put against God not me. God designed this thing that you’ve seen played out. Nobody believed it would be like this, even from the beginning, so many things were said. Some said I won’t even come 4th in the Election. I was laughing at them. For the fact that I put everything in the hands of God, I never for one day doubted. This morning I was singing and thanking God for giving me victory even before it was read. Because the handwriting was there. There were so many judicial precedents that supported my position and I knew that God was there all the way. There was no way they would’ve defeated God. When you make your opponents contend against the wishes of God, your opponent is already destroyed. So I put them on God’s collision cause, because they saw what God did and they refused to accept it rather, they decided to play and act god. I handed the matter over to God in prayers and this is the outcome. I know everything has ended well. There is nothing in this Judgment that anybody can fault. They did not challenge the Election because I won the Election. So they were not challenging the victory I got in the Election, instead, they went into a wild goose chase—that I was not a candidate in the Election. So the Tribunal was invited to say that I was not a Candidate in the Election so that the 1st runner-up would be returned. So you will nullify 103,608 votes of Anambra Central people and you go on and become Senator with 69,702 votes against the wish of the people? This is a week of so many judgments across Nigeria. The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal delivered its Judgment on Wednesday, and those who were the Petitioners are assessing the Judgment. Anybody who finds any hole in the Judgment they have delivered has the right to go to the Supreme Court. You cannot abridge any person’s right to go to ventilate his grievances in Court. Mr. Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of our Party has decided to go to the Supreme Court. He is not a new person in this process. I have gone through this history of route with him since 2001. We went through all kinds of formidable challenges to get him to become Governor of Anambra State after three years and months in Court, he prevailed. So I commend him for his spirit of not being a violent person. He will not do anything to diminish the integrity of democracy. He is somebody I have worked with and I know that even with the Judgement delivered on Wednesday against his Petition, he is not desperate. He is not desperate! I spoke with him and he told me that he will go and test it at the Supreme Court. It is his constitutional right. We continue to pray and wish him well. What is important for Nigeria is that no matter who wins, let us think about this country. Let us think about the processes of creating our leadership. It is very important, by far more fundamental than the victory anybody can take away. Let us establish a standard where Elections will be called, everything will go smoothly and whoever loses will go home and congratulate the winner. Let people not try to subvert the process and take advantage of anything and you think that democracy will grow. I want a democracy that our people will have confidence in and not even wait for the Court to adjudicate over election disputes. By the time we achieve the milestone of people accepting the outcomes of Elections because of the transparency of the process, that is when our democracy will grow and that is a work in progress. Senator Dr. Victor Umeh OFR Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District
To the glory of God, this is the second Judgment in the various Petitions filed against me. On Wednesday, the Election Petition Tribunal in Awka dismissed the Petition of the NNPP and her Candidate for lack of merit and abuse of court process. Today also, the Petition by APGA and her Candidate was dismissed. This happened to be the big one because it generated lots of tension and hype. But I have remained calm over the period since after the Election because I knew I won the Election and I did not do anything to compromise the process. The Election went as designed by the Electoral Commission and the people of Anambra Central Senatorial District, convinced that I would represent them better than any other candidate, voted overwhelmingly for me. I scored over 103,608 votes, the person who came second scored 69,702 votes (that’s the APGA Candidate), and the PDP Candidate scored 49,532 votes. So looking at the margins, I did not see what anybody could go to the Tribunal to look for, as I was the choice of the people. But they have gone to the Tribunal to claim all sorts of things and make so much noise about them. Mine is that I am a great stickler for due process, I always study the law and I follow it judiciously.
There was a High Court Order against my nomination on the 26th of January this year but the Appeal Court set it aside on the 23rd of February (just two days before the Election) and I won. I was surprised that someone could go to the Tribunal to rely on the same Federal High Court Judgement to attempt to say that I was not a Candidate in the Election.
So, this Judgment was well considered. I commend the Tribunal because they took all the issues they raised and trashed them based on Law. So there’s nothing anybody can complain about against this Judgement.
I am happy because this Judgment has put to rest, the distractions. No matter what they intend to do further, the distractions have abated. So that I can concentrate fully on working for my people. We have a lot of work to do for them, so we must be given the space to go all out and do that work. Our people are challenged in Nigeria; my Constituency is challenged in Nigeria and I want to be allowed to confront their problems head-on.
With this victory, I think the coast is now very clear unless anybody has intentions to do anything further. But even if they do anything further, God who arranged my victory will not allow them. My victory was orchestrated by God. It was God who did everything—saw me through the Elections, gave me the victory, and today, emphatically, all Petitions have been dismissed!
September 8th is a special day for me, I am a Catholic and a Marian Devotee. I am a great follower of Mother Mary and today is Her birthday. When they scheduled the Judgment on September 8th, I knew ‘they’ had lost. So I give all the glory to God. I dedicate this victory to the Blessed Virgin Mary whose Judgement coincided with Her birthday.
I congratulate the Anambra Central people on this victory. The way they fought for me in this Election shows that they desire to have me as their Senator. I also want to thank all my supporters, my Campaign Organization, and the Ohamadike Media Team, they are very formidable. So I thank them.
I thank my Lawyers, the lead Counsels, and for me, my personal Lawyer, Sir Patrick I.N. Ikwueto SAN who has been my lawyer since 2005. All my legal exploits, every time Victor Umeh wins, it has been through his hard work. In this Petition, Chief Barrister Alexander Ejesieme SAN partnered with him. He was the lead Counsel to the Labour Party. So we all worked together. And their submissions became unassailable to see the Tribunal agreed with them in all the points of law they raised and the Petition was struck out for lacking in merit.
For those who contested the Election with me, they should evaluate their stand. It is a question of self-evaluation. It is not for me to call them to sheath their sword, because if I do so, they’ll run out and say I am begging them not to Appeal. Let them take a deep reflection and evaluate their position. I know that this victory that the Tribunal handed down today, nothing can scratch it. So it is for them to do self-retrospection and reflection over the beginning, how all these things started; they should be able to assess their actions and know whether they took the right steps or not, and if in their judgment they feel this is the time to let everything be, so be it. I do not have any grievances against anybody. But surely, some people overstepped their bounds.
I have evaluated the steps I took and I have also evaluated this Judgment, there’s nothing to pursue further. Tomorrow will be another day, Election is not something you win every time and at all costs. There are times you look at the hand of God and follow God’s directive because actually, their challenge of my Election was a challenge they put against God not me. God designed this thing that you’ve seen played out. Nobody believed it would be like this, even from the beginning, so many things were said. Some said I won’t even come 4th in the Election. I was laughing at them.
For the fact that I put everything in the hands of God, I never for one day doubted. This morning I was singing and thanking God for giving me victory even before it was read. Because the handwriting was there. There were so many judicial precedents that supported my position and I knew that God was there all the way. There was no way they would’ve defeated God. When you make your opponents contend against the wishes of God, your opponent is already destroyed. So I put them on God’s collision cause, because they saw what God did and they refused to accept it rather, they decided to play and act god. I handed the matter over to God in prayers and this is the outcome.
I know everything has ended well. There is nothing in this Judgment that anybody can fault. They did not challenge the Election because I won the Election. So they were not challenging the victory I got in the Election, instead, they went into a wild goose chase—that I was not a candidate in the Election.
So the Tribunal was invited to say that I was not a Candidate in the Election so that the 1st runner-up would be returned. So you will nullify 103,608 votes of Anambra Central people and you go on and become Senator with 69,702 votes against the wish of the people?
This is a week of so many judgments across Nigeria. The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal delivered its Judgment on Wednesday, and those who were the Petitioners are assessing the Judgment. Anybody who finds any hole in the Judgment they have delivered has the right to go to the Supreme Court. You cannot abridge any person’s right to go to ventilate his grievances in Court.
Mr. Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of our Party has decided to go to the Supreme Court. He is not a new person in this process. I have gone through this history of route with him since 2001. We went through all kinds of formidable challenges to get him to become Governor of Anambra State after three years and months in Court, he prevailed. So I commend him for his spirit of not being a violent person. He will not do anything to diminish the integrity of democracy. He is somebody I have worked with and I know that even with the Judgement delivered on Wednesday against his Petition, he is not desperate. He is not desperate! I spoke with him and he told me that he will go and test it at the Supreme Court. It is his constitutional right. We continue to pray and wish him well. What is important for Nigeria is that no matter who wins, let us think about this country. Let us think about the processes of creating our leadership. It is very important, by far more fundamental than the victory anybody can take away. Let us establish a standard where Elections will be called, everything will go smoothly and whoever loses will go home and congratulate the winner. Let people not try to subvert the process and take advantage of anything and you think that democracy will grow.
I want a democracy that our people will have confidence in and not even wait for the Court to adjudicate over election disputes. By the time we achieve the milestone of people accepting the outcomes of Elections because of the transparency of the process, that is when our democracy will grow and that is a work in progress.
Senator Dr. Victor Umeh OFR
Senator representing
Anambra Central Senatorial District