By Milcah Tanimu

Ilas Onu, the People Democratic Party (PDP) contender in the upcoming Ebonyi South senatorial by-election on February 3, claims that his exclusion from the race was a “deliberate and politically motivated” move.

The Abakaliki Division of the Federal High Court recently disqualified Mr. Onu from the senatorial by-election, asserting that he failed to provide the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with a 21-day notice of congress for the by-election.

Reacting to the judgment, Onu argued that the timing, just two days before the election, was intended to sow confusion and discourage his numerous supporters from participating in the electoral process.

Despite the setback, Onu reassured his followers not to be disheartened, emphasizing his commitment to contesting the election. He announced plans to appeal the judgment, deeming it contrived and politically motivated.

In a statement, Mr. Onu declared, “I am going to appeal the judgment disqualifying me. Today, we received a contrived judgment from the federal high court, Abakaliki, stating that PDP did not give INEC 21 days’ notice of congresses for the by-election.”

“While we acknowledge that the judgment is contrived and deliberately done for political reasons, we are filing our notice of appeal immediately to ensure that we legally continue our participation in the election,” he added.

Calling on his supporters to turn out in large numbers on Saturday, February 3, Onu highlighted that the federal high court is not the final authority in pre-election matters, affirming the significance of their participation and the assurance that their votes will be counted.

The by-election was scheduled by INEC to fill the vacant senatorial seat left by David Umahi’s appointment as the Minister of Works.