Segun Babatunde, Bauchi
A political pressure group known as North East Elders and Youths Peoples Forum (NEEPYF), has expressed optimism that former governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, will get justice in the case against him at the Court of Appeal.
The group stated that despite alleged plan by a clique of some politicians bent on bringing him down politically, the former governor will come out triumphant at the end.
Chairman of the Group, Alhaji Salihu Magaji, stated this on Tuesday in Bauchi when he addressed a press conference.
He said, “Our attention was drawn to the allegations made by our brother, Senator Elisha Abbo who represented Adamawa North that the President of the Senate , Godswill Akpabio, was behind the ruling of the Appeal Court which terminated his tenure abruptly in the Senate yesterday (Monday).
“He also said that four other Senators have been penciled down for similar removal through judgement from the Court of Appeal. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu ( APC Abia North ) was the next target of the planned ‘coup’ against Five Senators from the Senate by its leadership. The sin of the other Four Senators was that they opposed the emergence of the leadership of the 10th Senate in June.”
Magaji said that “Nigerians are watching, and all of us are watching and we expect nothing from the Appeal Court except justice and fairness and with justice and fairness, Orji Kalu will win as he won at the lower Tribunal.”
The Group Chairman Magaji said “The essence of democracy lies not only in our ability to vote but also in our capacity to defend the integrity of that vote,as we remain confident of getting substantial justice at the appellate courts.”
Magaji also said that, “The ultimate victory may take time to come our way, but it is, we strongly believe inevitable as we have come to understand that the wheels of justice may sometimes grind slowly but it definitely grinds to a sure end.”
He further said that, ”The judiciary needs to please remain the last hope of the common man. President Bola Tinubu must do something urgent because this is not the democracy President Tinubu and others fought for and should please lead in protecting it”,
He said, “if it is true that the judiciary is being used by some people to achieve their selfishness, it is unfortunate, because, their action will destroy our hard earned democracy.
He called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to note that the democracy as one of the brethren that fought for democracy, he must do all he could to ensure the respect for the rule of law.
“We know him, President Tinubu as a pillar and vanguard of democracy .He will do his best to ensure that the democracy he fought for during the military rule was protected. The one being practised at the moment is not the same because bad eggs among the politicians are trying to destroy it, he must do everything to salvage the situation as a democract .”
Magaji said that, “For Senator Orji Kalu, Northern groups are drumming support for him to win, because they found him worthy to deliver good governance to the nation as he is a detrabilised Nigerian.”
He then said that “credibility, honesty, and the capacity to deliver endeared Orji Kalu to many Nigerians especially Northerners because he has deep relationships with people and he didnt disappoin in any of these relations.”
“Orji Kalu is always a straight forward person, whatever he says, he will do, and whatever he says he will not do, he will not do it. He is always sincere to Nigerians, and Nigerians are sincere to him,” he said.
The Chairman described Orji Kalu as a presidential material with experience in the private sector, executive and legislative arms of government saying that it was suprising the way the present leadership in the Senate is doing everything possible to bury his political development, “we will not agree.”
Magaji concluded saying, “We are appealing loudly to Court of Appeal to respect the wishes of the electorates. They should not do anything that will rob the Abia North Senatorial zone electoral wishes. We are demanding for fair and impartial judgement.”
