By Amos Aar
THE incumbent House of Representatives member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo federal constituency, Hon. Francis Ottah Agbo, has said that he is not contesting for second term at the green chamber of the National Assembly (NASS) against any other person but the incumbent Senator representing Benue South, Abba Moro.
Senator Moro, a former Minister of Interior in the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, is also seeking re-election at the senate.
Hon. Agbo made the observation in a video clip of a meeting in which he was addressing select constituents at an undisclosed venue in Benue after the Abuja Division of the Appeal Court presided over by Honourable Justice Bature Gafai on 12th January, 2023 nullified the candidacy of Ms Aida Ogwuche of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ordered that the certificate of return issued to her by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) be withdrawn an awarded to Hon. Agbo.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG_SLftTIyM[/embedyt]
Ottah Agbo, the House Chairman on Narcotics and Drugs who came second in the PDP primary election for Ado/Okpokwu/Agbadibo constituency is accusing Senator Moro of being behind the attempts to unseat him and advised him (Moro) to concentrate on his job as senator in charge of nine (9) local government areas rather than turning him (Agbo) into a “bag holder.”
“I’m not contesting this election against any Ogbadibo person. My opponent is Abba Moro, I know it and I am ready.
“Abba Moro should come to Ogbadibo and tell you what he has done. Is it Abba Moro that brought me into politics? No. I came into politics because I have an idea of what representative democracy is all about,” Agbo said.
Hon. Agbo who expressed confidence in himself to win the February 25th, 2023 polls wondered why Senator Moro was bent on removing him even as he was still standing as his “surety” at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for an unmentioned cased.
Meanwhile Ms Aida Ogwuche, who had earlier obtained favourable judgment at the Makurdi High Court presided over by the Honourable Justice Abdul Dogo but now stands disqualified by the Appeal Court judgement, has stated that she has approached the Supreme Court challenging the judgement of the Court of Appeal.
Ms Ogwuche therefor asserts that she remains the PDP candidate for the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo federal constituency general elections.
Joy FM Otukpo reported on Sunday January 15, 2023 that the Supreme Court has ordered the PDP and INEC to suspend any intended enforcement of the judgement of the appellate court in favour of Ottah Agbo.
National Record had reported that Hon. Ottah Agbo approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja, praying for the upturning of the lower court’s judgement on the ground that Ms Ogwuche did not resign her appointment from Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) 30 days before contesting as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act as amended.
According to the aggrieved lawmaker, Ogwuche was also engaged by the Benue State government as Principal Special Assistant to the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom.
