On Sunday, Francis Nwifuru, the governor of Ebonyi State, declared that he did not require the governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Benard Odoh, who had sued him following the general election of 2023, in his administration.
Nwifuru said this while speaking to Ebonyians and stakeholders who had flocked to the new Exco-chambers, government house, centennial city, Abakaliki, to celebrate with him.
Following the most recent general election in 2023, Governor Nwifuru described his interactions with Odii and Odoh. He claimed that Odii had tricked him, even after Odii had agreed to drop the case’s appeal to the Supreme Court.
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 They have experience but the experience of Ebonyians superseded their own; they should hold their experience, I don’t need it.”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.