A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon.Tony Nwulu, has declared that he will lead a protest match if the new Imo state Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma fails to deliver with the mandate bestowed on him by the people of Imo.
Nwulu who spoke with newsmen on Sunday while reacting to the Supreme Court judgment that removed Hon. Emeka Ihedioha as Imo state Governor, said Governor Uzodinma owes it as a duty to govern the state with the fear of God, urging him to bring democratic dividends to the doorsteps of the people.
He said, “Governor Uzodinma must do his best for the good of the State. If he deviates, he will not escape the wrath of God.
“Much is expected from him, so he has to hit the ground running. He has to be magnanimous in victory. Imo State is still bleeding and needs urgent good governance.
“The path to prosperity starts now. I know Hope as a generous and kind man, I want to see him make the wellbeing of Imo citizens his priority.
“Governor Hope must think outside the box, shun nepotism and engage the best brains both within and the diaspora to help him re-engineer the ailing economy of Imo State regardless of political or social affiliations. He must strive to place square pegs in square holes and not sacrifice competence on party politics”.
Nwulu, an ally of Governor Uzodinma, stated that he will not compromise the interest of Ndi Imo for his personal relationship with the new Governor.
“Governor Uzodinma is my senior friend, I respect his political sagacity but that will not stop me from voicing my opinion when he errs. We must speak truth to power. If he reneges on his promise to Imo people, I will not hesitate to lead a resistance protest against his government. At the same time, I hope he represents the Hope of Ndi Imo
Nwulu, who was the governorship candidate of the United Progressive Party, UPP in the 2019 governorship election in the State, said the people of the State must have a voice in the government.
“I will stand with the people at all times. Their views and opinions must count. I will not be swayed by the pecks within the corridors of power to compromise my views, or engage in acts that will deny the people the best of governance”.
He, however, advised the Imo Governor to asses the policies of his predecessor and choose those that will be of immense benefit to the State.
“Former Governor Ihedioha had some good policies such as Treasury Single Account, TSA. That was commendable. It restored transparency in government dealings.
Nwulu, however, blamed former Governor Ihedioha for his present ordeal revealing that he made some wrong political maneuvers, prior to his nomination as Governorship candidate of the PDP in Imo State, which now hunted him in recent times.
“What happened to my senior brother, former Governor Ihedioha is Supreme law of Karma not the Supreme Court. People should not play God. When you play God, the consequences can be unpalatable in the future.
“The same Hope Uzodinma, Ihedioha stopped from going back to the Senate in the PDP, was the same Uzodinma that returned and took over his position as Governor of Imo State.
“Its a case of diminishing returns. Ihedioha played God in the PDP before party primaries. As leader of the PDP and governorship candidate of the party at that time, he was against Senator Hope Uzodinma returning to the Senate for Orlu zone.
“I’m aware of several appeals and overtures that were made to him to allow Senators Uzodinma and Samuel Anyanwu return to the Senate. Some PDP leaders in the country appealed to him but he refused to bulge”.
DAILY POST recalls that the Supreme Court of Nigeria had last Tuesday, declared Uzodinma, the candidate of the APC in the 2019 governorship election as Imo Governor.
A seven-man panel of the apex court led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Tanko Muhammad, unanimously declared Hope Uzodinma as the winner of the March 9, 2019, governorship election and the validly elected governor of the state.
In the judgment read by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the judges unanimously agreed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was wrong to have excluded some votes from the scores of Uzodinma.
The judge said with the result, the APC governorship candidate polled majority of lawful votes and ought to have been declared winner by INEC.
