Gov’s popularity got him second ticket – APC spokesman

The Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress in Imo State, Cajethan Duke, speaks to DANIEL AYANTOYE on the outcome of the tribunal judgment among other issues

The Labour Party has kicked against the tribunal judgment that affirmed your candidate and Governor of the state, Hope Uzodimma, as the winner of the November 11 governorship election. What is your reaction to this?

On what premise are they opposing the judgment of the tribunal? Well, that is the beauty of democracy. The beauty of democracy is that we allow individuals to have their opinions, and the majority will always have their way. The judgment of the Election Petition Tribunal is a complete reflection of the outcome of that election. It is unprecedented in the annals of political history for a governor to win 27 out of 27 local government areas. That victory was an overwhelming testament to the governor’s popularity in the state. I want to tell you that since 1990, no governor has enjoyed the kind of popularity that Governor Hope Uzodimma is enjoying.

This popularity is not just a matter of because he is the governor; it is a popularity that is well-earned. The man has created quality infrastructure that will last the test of time and people are seeing it. Despite the obvious distractions that preceded his administration, the governor has stood firm in delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Imo State. His kind of dividends of democracy is not the kind of come, wait, and take dividends of democracy. His kind of dividends of democracy are not tomatoes and onions kind of dividends. These are durable, verifiable, infrastructural developments in the state.

But the opposition will not agree with you on that?

His policies are policies that are targeted at turning around the economic fortune of the state. That’s what the man is doing. The man is not doing something that will last for eight years. The man is doing something that will outlive his time and generation. That’s what the governor is doing. I am not surprised that Imo people are home appreciate the governor. My brothers and sisters in the Labour Party, a few of them that are in there, will do something to keep the party going. The beauty of democracy is that you must have a dissenting opinion.

Everybody must not be on the same page. Yes, they are also entitled to approach the next level, either to go to Appeal Court or whatever. But I want to tell you that even the Appeal Court will also do justice to the matter by looking at the overwhelming majority of Imo people. As a party, we welcome that judgment as a reflection of the position of the Imo people. We congratulate the governor; we dedicate this victory to the Imo people because they made it possible.

The Labour Party also alleged that your party engaged in over-voting and non-compliance to the Electoral Act. What can you say about that?

It is one thing to allege, it is another thing to prove. The onus of proof lies on you who allege. So, if you say there was over-voting, you went to the tribunal. So, it is your business and responsibility to prove before the tribunal that indeed there was over-voting. It is your responsibility to also prove that indeed, this election was not in substantial compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act. But I can tell you that they failed woefully to prove that allegation. If you cannot prove any allegation, It is dead on arrival. The situation we have now is that when people lose, they tend to say it is not fair. That is one thing we have been preaching; that people should change their orientation.

The process must not be good when it favours you. People should learn to congratulate the winner accept defeat and go back to the drawing board for the next time. The next election is in less than three years. So, instead of wasting their time chasing a matter that has been concluded, they should go back home and go back to the drawing board. Let me also ask you; is there even a political party in Imo State called the Labour Party? The Labour Party was just an emergency vehicle that had no permanent direction.

They also alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission was involved in the illegalities during the November 11 governorship election. How true is that?

The same INEC that conducted the presidential election was the same INEC that conducted the governorship election. During the National Assembly election, did Labour Party candidates win the election? It was the same INEC that conducted the election that the governor won. It was the same INEC that conducted the election that the Labour Party won in Abia State. The same INEC conducted the one that the APC won in Imo State. So, what are they trying to tell us now? They should not be undermining the credibility of INEC because they didn’t win the election.

The LP governorship candidate, Senator Athan Achonu, swore to take the matter to the Supreme Court level. Is your party not worried about this?

No, it is his right. He has the right to do that. As I said earlier, it is one thing to allege, it is another thing to prove. So, it is within the ambit of his fundamental human rights.

So, your party is not worried?

We are not worried. What he could not do at the election tribunal, he cannot do at the Appeal Court because what he is going to take to the Appeal Court is what he will bring from the election petition tribunal. So, he is not going to manufacture anything new. He is not going to manufacture a new result. He is not going to manufacture new evidence. The evidence already tendered at the Election Petition Tribunal is what he will take to the Appeal Court. We are not bothered. Let me tell you, as I speak to you today, we are only concerned with delivering the dividends of democracy to the Imo people for the overwhelming confidence they have in our party.

Earlier, you mentioned that the governor has done a lot of things in the state. But some have also said that the governor has not performed in the state for over four years. What is your take on this?

I don’t know which particular sector they are making this claim. There is no critical sector of the economy in the state that the governor has not made a life-changing impact. There is only one sector of the economy that every other sector of the economy revolves around. There is one particular policy that propels every other sector of the economy. That is the provision of critical infrastructure. The governor has opened many corridors, and many pathways of economic prosperity in Imo State. Today, I went to Umuahia. If you take that terrain, you will see the kind of critical infrastructure that the governor is building in that area. You go to other roads; you see what the governor has done.

The governor has built more roads in the state within the space of four years plus than all the governors put together since 1999 till date. Meanwhile, not one individual can solve all the problems of humanity at the same time. Yes, I agree that while the governor may have performed better, there are also some areas in which he has not been able to solve all the problems. I know there is no way one leader can solve all the problems of his people at the same time because if that is done, there will be no room for the next leader. But the point I am making is that the governor has consistently, intentionally, and deliberately pursued the realisation of all the aspirations and yearnings of the Imo people.