Abia Youths Vow To Stop Ex-Convicts From Representing Zone In Senate

Abia North Youths movement under the umbrella body of All Bende Youths Movement Nationwide has disclosed plans to thwart the ambition of politicians convicted of crime to represent the Abia North senatorial district.

The group in a joint statement signed by its National President, Uchendu Udensi and George Iboko, National Secretary disclosed this to newsmen, on Monday.

The group condemned and opposed politicians with questionable character and fraudulence act, noting that ex-convicts have no business in the National Assembly.

The statement also drew the attention of the Court of Appeal to 105 polling units in Ohafia and Arochukwu local government areas of the state where there was allegedly no voting exercise during the February senatorial election.

“That the Judiciary are hereby re-alerted on the inconclusive of elections in the Abia North still awaiting outright resolutions for the fact that 105 polling units in Ohafia and Arochukwu Local Government Areas in Abia State where elections did not hold and also PVC’s approximately 50,000 and above collected by citizenry were not allowed to exercise their franchise in (3) Federal wards in Ohafia LGA in Abia State during past 2023 general election.

“That the All Old Bende Youths Movement Nationwide in strong terms condemn and oppose whoever is spotted out with questionable character, fraudulent in act, and ex-convict to quit representing the good people of Abia North Senatorial Districts in the Red Chambers in the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the statement said.

The group also urged the Court of Appeal to ensure there is consideration of the affected polling units when deciding the case.

Recall that the Tribunal, a few weeks ago said that the petitioner ( Nnamdi Iro Orji) did not prove his case and ruled in favour of the former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, who was declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Dissatisfied with the tribunal ruling, Iro-Orji had appealed arguing that Kalu had admitted to the Federal High Court in Abuja that he should not be retried for corruption related cases he was being prosecuted for by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC.

The EFCC had prosecuted Kalu for corruption amounting to billions of naira the commission said was stolen when he was governor of Abia State.