SUPREME COURT VERDICT ON APC CANDIDATE FOR YALA 1 STATE CONSTITUENCY IS VICTORY FOR YALA
Dear good people of Yala.
It is with the utmost respect and regard I wish to address you all about the situation of things concerning the legal tussle that has ensued between the All Progressive Congress, Rt. Hon. Regina Anyogo and I, which has been brought to a historic end.
It is no longer news that on Monday, February 27, 2023, the Supreme Court of Nigeria in Abuja has nullified the APC primary elections for Yala 1 Constituency in the Cross River State House of Assembly which brought the emergence of Rt. Hon. Regina Anyogo as the candidate. This verdict was a result of the legal battle that has been going on since after the ill-fated primaries in April, 2022.
For proper clarification, the verdict of the Supreme court implies that my party, the ruling APC has no eligible candidate and shall not be on the ballot papers for the State House of Assembly elections coming up on March 11, 2023, as the primary election that produced Rt. Hon. Regina Anyogo has been adjudged illegal, null, and void.
Recall that, I expressed my dissatisfaction with the result of the primary election and I did challenge the process in the court of law in accordance with the provision of the Constitution. It was so devastating that the High and Appeal Court’s verdicts did not reflect the truth of the matter and the yearnings of the people of Yala, so I had to push up the fight to the apex court in the country; which is the Supreme Court and to the glory of God we have gotten a verdict that worths celebrating. It is a no for third term. It is a victory for our dear people of Yala.
Many would be wondering if I am happy or satisfied that the Supreme Court stopped my party from the election due to the lack of credible primaries and my honest response is an emphatic “Yes, I am!”.
I am absolutely satisfied with the ruling of the Supreme Court because it reflects the desires of the people of Yala. I am satisfied that though it has been a fierce battle, I stood my ground to fight until the very end so that the future of Yala people will not be jeopardized. I am satisfied with the pronouncement of the Supreme Court because it has been able to stop a third-time bid in Yala State Constituency which was a threat to the political history of our Constituency and could have as well caused a dent in the political trajectory of my people. I am satisfied with the verdict of the apex court because I have been able to wave away from the innocent and good people of Yala, a catastrophic leadership that is filled with underperformance, social and moral decadence, retrogression, and malady. I am satisfied and fulfilled that I helped evade the calamity of the Yala people going through another four years of backwardness caused by acute misrepresentation and abysmal performance by a dormant person who has the effrontery to demand a third term in office.
Consequently, I want to seize this opportunity to gear and admonish the good people of Yala 1 Constituency to hold fast to justice and fairness in all ramifications of life’s struggles. Just like the way I have fought the battle to a resounding end, I urge my Yala 1 people to bring the fight to a concluding end on the 11th of March by voting for the right person among those whose names will appear on the ballot papers– the right person that will galvanize and bring to the common man, the dividends of democratic good leadership in the state, the right person who will listen to the cry of the masses and provide swift solutions, the right person who will represent the interest of the people of Yala 1 Constituency in the Cross River State House of Assembly, just like the way I had dreamt and planned to do. The people of Yala 1 must think and choose a leader whose ideologies and orientations of governance synchronize with mine. I pray that God in his infinite mercy will guide you all, my people, through this phase as talks have started.
Moving forward, I shall remain committed to the emancipation and progress of my Yala 1 people in all facets of life which cuts across social, political, economic, cultural, and educational developments. I shall continue striving to change the narrative of the conventional mediocre system of governance in my community and state in partnership with like minds, thereby improving the livelihood of my people in my own way.
Conclusively, I sincerely thank everyone who has believed, supported, and contributed towards this course right from the beginning up until this point, I am of good faith that posterity will always smile at us for bringing the necessary liberation to our people.
I seize this opportunity to cheerfully welcome you all to the new month of March. May it be a blessed month with eventful successes.
Thank you, all.
God bless.
PRINCESS OTANYA V. ODEY
