By Obio Monday
Former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Cross River State, Senator John Owan Enoh says he has put an end to all legal battles between him and the APC governorship flagbearer for 2023 election, Prince Bassey Otu.
Recall that Senator Enoh, a former senator representing Cross River Central Senatorial District had contested the APC governorship primaries but lost to Prince Otu.
Not satisfied with the outcome of the primaries, Senator Enoh dragged :Prince Otu and the APC to the Federal High Court in Calabar, on grounds that Prince Otu was not cleared to contest the primary, of which the court dismissed the suit.
Senator Enoh went further to file an appeal at the Calabar Division of the Court of Appeal, and the suit was also dismissed.
Announcing his withdrawal of all pending suit on Wednesday, Senator Enoh said his decision was premised on the public appeal by APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in Calabar during a town hall meeting.
The statement read:
It Is with a great sense of responsibility and a feeling of exceptionally rare privilege that I send this message to you my fellow party men and women, and teeming supporters across the length and breadth of our dear State. I thought it wise to do so with profound gratitude for your staying power, perseverance, and confidence in me and in our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). You have established and maintained unwavering faith in our party which I must commend you so highly for.
After the last State Governorship primary of our party, I sought a civilized route to address my misgivings through the court which is the acceptable standard in any democracy that is worth its name. I have been dissatisfied with the last two court judgments from the Federal High Court and Court of Appeal both in Calabar. I have the option of proceeding to the Supreme Court to exhaust my inalienable constitutional right to fair hearing and justice. However, the occasion of the Town Hall Meeting of Tuesday 20th December, 2022 at the instance of the Presidential candidate of our party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has gone down as a watershed and turning point for me in seeking further redress in the matter.
The public appeal by the Presidential candidate and National Leader of our party is such a humbling experience which I cannot ignore under any circumstance. I have had cause to confer with my immediate family and consult widely with my teeming supporters across the State after that occasion. On this note therefore, I have taken the hard decision to put an end to the litigation and instead work for the success of the party.
The decision I have taken is a pointer for us to achieve a common ground and the ultimate lesson is to remind us that beyond our individual ambitions, we are one people with a shared history and common political destiny. I believe the strength of any political party in a fledgling democracy like ours is shown most clearly through the difficulties it can overcome and disputes it can resolve. In honour and respect to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other well-meaning leaders of our party I have accepted to swallow the bitter pill and work in harmony with the party for its 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 come together for the interest of our party, the APC. We cannot afford to go into the next elections fragmented, factionalized, and disunited. The timeless biblical injunction that, “A house divided against itself cannot stand” is quite instructive in the circumstance.
I wish to call on the leadership of the party in the State to open a new page in the party based on this new development. On this new page, there should be unity, love, and justice to all. May we continue to invest faith in our party for a better tomorrow.
