By: Amb. Anthony Akalugo
THE VICTORY OF BARR. HARRISON NWADIKE AND THE REIGN OF NATURAL JUSTICE: Njaba & Isu sections of NINN now to be counted
The battle of who holds the mandate of the largest single Federal Constituency in Nigeria, Nkwerre, Isu, Nwangele and Njaba Federal Constituency, with acronym, NINN, has finally been settled with the victory of Barr. Harrison Nwadike, Ikeoha Njaba, affirmed by the final court, the appeal court in Lagos.
In as much as there were other contestants, the battle trickled down to a two horse battle between the incumbent, Hon. Ugonna Ozuruigbo, OZB, of PDP, and Barr. Harrison Nwadike, of APC.
At the appeal court, held in Lagos, the appeal by Barr. Harrison Nwadike, that opposed the ruling of the trial court, which earlier upheld the victory of Hon. Ozuruigbo, was upheld thereby nullifying the ruling of the trial court, in favour of the appealant, Barr. Harrison Nwadike.
Significantly, the kernel of the litigation was based on nullity of jurisdiction of primaries of PDP that produced the candidates who hoisted their flags at the general elections. OZB has therefore been booted out by the courts as Barr. Harrison Nwadike is affirmed the elected representative of the largest Federal Constituency, NINN.
Occurrence of any action has multiple aspects of justification and contributing principles. First it is to be recalled that the resilience demonstrated by Barr. Harrison Nwadike in his struggle to clinch the exalted seat of the Federal Constituency, is second to none.
In 2015, it is evident that Barr. Harrison Nwadike won the general election clearly, but was robbed of victory, in favour of PDP candidate, Hon. Jones Onyeriri. Even when results that emanated from the component local governments had it that Barr. Nwadike won in 3 out of the 4 LGAs and therefore was the winner, the hands of Esau altered the narrative and made him a loser to Hon. Jones Onyeriri, from Nkwerre LGA.
In 2019, Barr. Harrison Nwadike was deeply embroiled in the debacle to determine who was the candidate of APC and it was the same OZB who struggled to silence him using all his arsenal. The matter ended up upholding OZB as the candidate of the ruling party and Barr. Harrison Nwadike lost out on the struggle. It was therefore Nwangele on the saddle.
But suffice it to state that words spoken return with power and potency. It was OZB who, during the campaigns of 2019 elections promised that he only intended to go to the Federal House once and in 2023, to take a shoot at Senate.
He further promised that if anyone would emerge from Njaba LGA for the Federal seat, in 2023, that he would cede his interest and support Njaba to break the 24 year old jinx of non-representation at the green Chambers.
Eventually, his promise to step up to senate and to support Njaba LGA produce NINN Federal representative were all jettisoned for him to consolidate in the Federal House, an attempt to ridicule Njaba and to dare the people.
Njaba and Isu Local government Areas saw it as the height of injustice for them to be perpetually marginalised. Even many people from Nkwerre and Nwangele saw it with the same prism but wielding the power and resources of incumbency compelled people to begin to view it in the preferred narrative of OZB, no apologies to Njaba and Isu Local Government Areas. The benefits of holding the office include securing job opportunities at the Federal ministries, departments and agencies and parastatals of government. It is on record today that Njaba and Isu have so much suffered lack of such opportunities while the rest have enjoyed unlimited enrolment in such institutions.
The greatest assistance of the governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, Onwa Oyoko, as the leader of APC was to ensure that the marginalised people of Njaba LGA did not continue to be trampled upon and therefore encouraged the emergence at the party primaries, of Njaba born learned business mogul. All other support he gave as a party man ensured that no undue influence as a result of incumbency in the Federal House would work.
The people of Njaba, Isu, Nwangele and Nkwerre all thronged out on second January to welcome home the man of the moment. His title of Ikeoha Njaba is affirmed as he has wrestled the elusive seat of Federal house from perennial interests that trampled upon the mandate of the people.
Fundamentally, the natural course of justice was repudiated first when his glaring victory was usurped in 2015 and in 2019, and through the promise that power must get to Njaba after 24 years. The desire of OZB to further extend the grip on power to 28 years, another 4 years tenure, of grip on power by the Nkwerre/Nwangele Bloc as against Njaba/Isu Bloc, without any single year of representation, was the greatest show of injustice.
Meanwhile the combination of the voting strengths of Isu and Njaba constituencies far outweigh the voting strength of Nkwerre and Nwangele put together, and yet, they were the only people holding sway at the green Chambers.
Barr. Harrison Nwadike is a child of circumstance who emerged to transform the political disequilibrium of the Nneano configuration. Natural justice has taken its course and true to dignity of humanity, without justice, there is no peace.
Çongratulations to the entire Federal Constituency of Nkwerre, Isu, Nwangele, and Njaba, for your liberation from perennial slavery and hijack of common wealth. Barr. Harrison Nwadike has liberated the people from injustice.
© Amb. Anthony Akalugo
Titanic Media, 2024
