Uchendu/Abe: We'll remain grateful to the Judiciary, Rivers Electorate--APC

National Vice Chairman, South South Zone of the governing All Progressives Congress, Ntufam Hilliard Eta has said his party remains grateful to the current Judiciary for restoring the mandate handed Sen. Magnus Abe and Rt. Hon Andrew Uchendu by the Rivers people but stolen by the Peoples Democratic Party during last years National Assembly rerun polls in Rivers state.

Eta whose statement was signed by his Media Adviser, Bassey Ita, described recent Appeal Court verdict which ascribed victory in the 2016 Rivers East  senatorial rerun elections to the APC's Andrew Uchendu and of Senator Abe in Rivers South East as victory for the majority of their constituents who insisted on change as against the old order of mediocrity and leadership failures.

He also expressed confidence that the current judiciary will restore public order and confidence in it saying that the recent judgements were a restoration of the stolen mandates of the people of those senatorial districts.

Eta recalled that "the rerun poll was stolen from the APC following the brigandage unleashed on the INEC and security operatives at the collation centre by officials and thugs hired by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP".

He maintained that some  of the results from  wards and polling units of the eight local government areas of the Rivers East senatorial district were not for instance  allowed in for collation by the prowling PDP brigands thereby compelling the INEC to announce an incomplete result in favor of the PDP.

According to him, '' this clear case of substantial non-compliance informed the  reversal of the initial PDP's victory by the election tribunal''.

Eta congratulated Abe and Uchendu for the court victory and urged them to up the ante on representation to justify the mandate of the people.

It would be recalled that the Appeal Court had recently upheld the verdict of the Rivers rerun tribunal which reversed the declaration of the Senator George Sekibo of the PDP by the Independent National Electoral Commission as winner of the Rivers rerun elections held last December .

The tribunal had earlier declared that the INEC should issue Uchendu certificate of return  while retrieving the initial certificate issued Sekibo.

The tribunal decision however came on heels of  the petitions raised by Uchendu alleging substantial non- compliance with the Electoral Act and INEC.