TRIBUNAL RULING: CONFIRMATION OF SENATOR THEODORE ORJI’S TOWERING POPULARITY

By Jude Ndukwe

The ruling on Tuesday of The National and State House of Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia affirming the victory of Senator Theodore Ahamefule Orji  at the February 23, 2019 Abia Central Senatorial election has put to rest any iota of doubt about the continued popularity which the Senator, popularly called Papa Ukwu by his admirers, enjoys not only among his constituents in Abia Central but also among the people in the entire State by the virtue of his many indelible legacies as Governor of the State from 2007 – 2015.

The fact remains that no matter the ill advised campaign of calumny launched against Senator T.A. Orji by an insignificant and negligible section of the Abia society whose only paid vocation is to keep churning out falsehood against leading lights of the State, a majority of Abians who are at home with the achievements of Ochendo over the years both as Governor and as Senator are discerning enough to vote for him over and over again should he present himself for elective positions as many times.

This much was the implication of the judgement by the Tribunal which did not fail to observe that despite her vigorous but jejune attempt to claim a mandate that was never given to her by the people in the first place, Nkechi Nwogu made allegations of irregularities in 215 polling units in the senatorial zone but could only call one polling unit agent as witness out of the 215 polling units she alleged irregularities. This was indeed a pitiable situation for her, and, indeed, the petitioner, Nkechi Nwogu, deserves our sympathy because despite knowing the obvious truth she still decided to go out in the rain without the UMBRELLA and now she is left drenched and lurching in it without company. She should have known that with the enormous goodwill Senator T.A. Orji enjoys among Abians, Ochendo does not need anyone to perpetrate any act of irregularities for him to win elections in the State. He won cleanly and clearly, and that is why Nwogu could not find more than one witness in a case she needed about 215 to buttress her contrived allegations which existed only as a figment of her own blurred imagination.

To make matters worse for her, a cost of N500,000 each was awarded against her in favour of Senator Orji, the PDP and INEC. For those who think they can continue to use their easy accessibility to the social media to continue to futilely throw mud at Ochendo, let this be a big lesson to them, the man they love to scurrilously attack just to satisfy their mischievous inclinations has once again floored them! The man for whom they have turned themselves to political voyeurs is now at The Promised Land to continue serving his people. His hands are equally open to them to join forces with him to help to continue taking not only Abia Central but the entire Abia State forward through strategic contributions in the Senate and continued partnership with the Abia State government.

It is such strategic contributions and dedicated pursuit of the well being of his people that have endeared him even to his colleagues in the Red Chamber. Today, Senator Orji is among the few opposition Senators at the national level trusted with a Committee considered highly strategic to the socioeconomic development of Nigeria, the Senate Committee on Privatisation. What he did in Abia as Governor is what he has continued to do in Abuja as Senator. Today, a Bill to establish a federal polytechnic in Aba, Abia State’s commercial nerve centre, has since been passed into Law by the two chambers of the national assembly courtesy of Senator T.A. Orji who introduced the Bill and was dogged enough even in his calm mien to see it through to its logical conclusion despite the rigorous processes passed through to that point. The importance of establishing such a polytechnic in Aba, a city renowned globally for its technical and technological prowess, apart from further bringing federal presence to the State, cannot be overemphasised. As it is now, many Abians are on scholarship powered by Senator Orji just as he has continued to empower thousands of youths and women from his tenure as governor till date.

It is therefore not surprising that the people of Abia Central overwhelmingly voted for the man they also love to call “Ochendo Global” at the last general elections. 

For the Nwogus, the courts have affirmed that Senator T.A. Orji’s victory was a victory of the people, by the people and for the people. He should be allowed to concentrate on serving them wholeheartedly as he has always done. God bless Abia State!