A former senator who represented the central senatorial district of Cross River in the National Assembly, John Owan-Enoh, declared a ceasefire in the lawsuit he brought against the party’s candidate for state governor, Otu Bassey.
The development came a week after the public appeal by the All Progressive Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, urging aggrieved members to resolve their grievances out of court.
Owan-Enoh, former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said the “difficult decision” was made after a series of consultations with his immediate family and supporters across the state.
The PUNCH reported that the former APC gubernatorial hopeful lost to Senator Bassey Otu in the party’s primary in May.
Although he went to court, Owan-Enoh nevertheless lost both cases in the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal.
However, Tinubu, who waded into the dispute during his South South town hall meeting with stakeholders at the Cultural Center in Calabar, Cross River State, on December 20, 2022, called aggrieved party members to the stage shortly before the town hall meeting. started.
“Mary Eta and I did not start today, we have been friends for a long time. And Senator John Owan-Enoh, come what may, he’ll surely be disappointed insofar as he’s human, but please drop the demands on him. Let’s work together,” he said.
Speaking to reporters in Abuja on Wednesday, Owan-Enoh said the
The public appeal of the APC presidential candidate “is such a humiliating experience that I cannot ignore under any circumstances.”
He said that although he had the option of proceeding to the High Court after losing in the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal, the occasion of the town hall meeting in Calabar at the behest of Tinubu had been a watershed and turning point for him. . seeking further reparation in the matter.
Owan-Enoh said: “I have had reason to consult with my immediate family and consult extensively with my many supporters across the state after that occasion.
“On this note, therefore, I have made the difficult decision to end the litigation and instead work for the success of the party.
“The decision I have made is a pointer for us to reach common ground and the final lesson is to remind us that beyond our individual ambitions, we are one people with a shared history and a common political destiny.
“I think the strength of any political party in a fledgling democracy like ours is most clearly shown through the difficulties it can overcome and the disputes it can resolve.
“In honor and respect of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other well-meaning leaders of our party, I have agreed to swallow the bitter pill and work in harmony with the party for their victory.
“I, therefore, use this medium to further appeal to my supporters, as well as other aggrieved members of our party, to understand with me, bury the hatchet, and unite in the interest of our party, the APC. upcoming fragmented, factionalized and disunited elections. The eternal Biblical injunction that ‘a house divided against itself cannot stand’ is very instructive in this circumstance.
“I want to call on the party leaders in the state to open a new page in the party based on this new development. On this new page there must be unity, love and justice for all. May we continue to invest faith in our party for a better tomorrow”.
