By Ehiaguina Thomas, Benin City
All seems not to well within the camp of APC gubernatorial campaign council in Edo State as a fallout from the misleading court statement by Barr Adaze Emwanta, alleging that PDP 2024 primaries and the candidature of Asue Ighodalo have been nullified by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Emwanta had in a press interview granted within the court premise in Abuja on Thursday, claimed that Justice Inyang Ekwo gave a judgment in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/165/2024, nullifying the February 22nd governorship primaries conducted by the PDP. The case was brought by some aggrieved delegates notably led by one Hon Kelvin Mohammed.
Though, the case was a PDP vs PDP affairs, there was a wild jubilation in the camp the APC by Emwanta’s blazing interview as they will be the direct beneficiary should the news be true.
In a swift reaction, Counsel to the PDP, Akinlolu Kehinde, vehemently refuted Emwanta’s claim saying that the court did not make such order nullifying the primaries or disqualifying Ighodalo’s candidacy.
However, the Certified True Copy of the court released on Friday clearly show that Emwanta had misled his party’s members. The consequences of his action brought a rude halt to the wild jubilation, and ultimately put the party and its candidate, Monday Okpebholo in the public image of ‘unserious elements’ who want to reap electoral gains where they did not sow.
A Chieftain and senior member of the campaign council who pleaded anonymity, brutally rebuked Emwanta for the misleading statement saying that it has brought them electoral reproach before the public.
He said, “Adaze Emwanta is never a serious character that should be taken seriously going by his media recklessness and notorious antecedence. His misleading statement has caused a serious damage to us as Edo voters now see us as unserious party going into election trying to reap from where we didn’t sow.”
He went further to say that, “ this nauseating misleading statement has given an undeserved sympathy to our opposition candidate, Asue Ighodalo by Edolites and increased his popularity astronomically in less than 24 hours.”
He concluded by saying that, “after an emergency strategic meeting, a visibly angry Monday Okpebholo has given the severe warning that Adaze Emwanta should never be allowed to be seen anywhere close to his campaign office any more.”
