Just few days to the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections, and just after the Presidential and NASS election which generated so much anxiety and heat, the steam yet to fully settle down in Ika nation, Hon. Hilary Fada Ibude, the candidate for the State House of Assembly seat under the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has stated that the incumbent, Hon. Festus Chukwuyem Okoh (aka Chuky Dandy) has dragged him to court.
He disclosed this to Ika Weekly Newspaper reporter through his DG, Mr. Simeon Boi, in an interview conducted on Thursday February 28, 2019.
Mr. Boi disclosed that the summons was received with joy, because it was only an indication that the plaintiff, Hon. Chukwuyem Okoh, is finally accepting defeat prior to the election. His words, “When we got the summons, we were happy. Our joy knew no bounds because in the history of Nigeria from 1999, only the loser of an election goes to court to upturn the result. So, it was a confirmation that our opponent Hon. Festus Okoh, the plaintiff, has been able to understand that he has lost this election to Hon. Hilary Fada Ibude.”
Mr. Boi went further to state that Hon. Hilary is the best candidate for the position and the people are aware of it.
“Hon. Fada Ibude is the most qualified and acceptable candidate. One thing is to be famous and another is to be popular. When you are famous, it means people know your name. But, when you are popular, you have a general acceptance. The acceptance our candidate, Hon. Fada Ibude so far, is a shocker to his opponent, Hon. Chukwuyem Okoh. We are not going about making noise. We are playing politics technically. Real politicians do not make noise, they win elections, because when people talk to people, and people understand.
“When you are selling a good product, you do not need a good marketer, because the product can sell itself. Hon. Fada Ibude is a good product. This election is no longer about party, but about whom the people trust to deliver. We need qualitative and selfless representation. We do not want someone who we cannot trust. Hon. Ibude has his family here. His wife and children are here. So, people have great confidence in him. I can assure you that not up to three percent of the money spent so far for this election came from the pocket of Hon. Ibude. The rest donations and contributions from friends at home and abroad. People we do not even know are rendering their assistance, because they know he is the best candidate. Anywhere we go, we get testimonies of his good performance while he was Ika South Council Chairman, and that he cannot even remember all of them. That is the good record he has on ground.”
The DG therefore admonished their supporters never to jitter because of the summons, saying that they would triumph at the end of the day. He added: “I am by this reassuring our followers that victory is ours, and so they should not be scared of the court issue. It is no case at all. Our opponent is already jittery and that is why he has taken us to court. He knows that he has lost even before the election. We are going to defeat him at the polls and in the court. We are prepared.”
When asked the reason the plaintiff has dragged Hon. Fada Ibude to court, the DG said, “The reason has no basis. It is statute barred.”
When contacted, Hon. Festus Chukwuyem Okoh, said that the defendant, Hon. Hilary Fada Ibude should go to Asaba to defend himself.