Ebonyi South Senatorial Ticket: Twist In Ann Agom-Eze’s Candidacy; Withdrew Voluntarily; Could Lose Ticket

By Charles Igbo

Documents available to this medium show that Princess Ann Agom-Eze, the woman who floored Engr. Dave Umahi, Governor of Ebonyi State, at the Federal High Court, Abakaliki, to claim the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senatorial ticket of the Zone, withdew from the race.

Her letter of withdrawal shows that she did so voluntarily.

If confirmed, she could lose the ticket, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC would be saddled with the task of supervising another Senatorial Primary election for the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Otherwise, the APC in the State stands to face the embarrassment of not fielding a candidate for the Zone.

A Federal High Court which gave judgement on the contentious ticket had sacked Governor Umahi as the Senatorial candidate on Friday. The Court, also, disqualified his younger brother, Austin Umahi, who apparently was a place-holder for him, from the race. The Judge, the Honourable Justice Riman, instead, gave the ticket to Princess Agom-Eze who, allegedly, came second during the Senatorial Primary which was monitored by INEC.

In disqualifying Governor Umahi from the race, the Judge said he had participated in the Presidential Primary of his Party, and that section 115 of the Electoral Act forbids a person who had taken part in a Primary for an office to take part in another Primary for a different office same year, same General Elections.

The first Primary was won by the Governor’s younger brother, Austin. The allegation is that a couple of aspirants were arm-twisted to step down. But apparently, the victory was for his elder brother, the Governor. As soon as the senior Umahi lost in the Presidential Primary, his younger brother wrote a letter to the National Chairman of the Party,  withdrawing from the race. That provided the Ebonyi APC an opportunity to organise another Primary which the Governor easily won.

In, also, disqualifying Austin Umahi,  Justice Riman said he voluntarily withdrew from the race.

Trouble started when INEC did not publish Governor Umahi’s name as a Senatorial candidate. INEC said it does not recognize the second Primary which gave the Governor the ticket. The Commission described it as illegal.

In reaction, Governor Umahi approached the Federal High Court to compel INEC to publish his name. Agom-Eze applied to be joined in the suit. She eventually carried the day.

However a twist has appeared. The same thing that happened to Umahi jnr. could happen to Agom-Eze if the document seen by this medium is anything to go by. Like Austin Umahi, she, also, withdrew from the race.

In a letter dated 9th June, 2022, and addressed to the National Chairman of the APC, titled Letter of Withdrawal, Agom-Eze said she had withdrawn from the race.

It reads: “I, Princess Ann Agom-Eze, having contested for the Senatorial Seat of Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone, and having come second in the contest, hereby, for the interest of our Party,  the All Progressives Congress (APC), withdraws.

“Mr Chairman Sir, I wish to assure you that the unity and interest of the party,  supersedes any other interest. I wish our great party well, and will always make myself available to serve the party in any other capacity.

“Thanks for all your support and that of the members of the National Working Committee of our great party, the All Progressives Congress.”

Agom-Eze had also filled out and signed another form of “Voluntary Withdrawal.”

The questions are: Why did she, after coming second, still write a letter of withdrawal from a race she had already been defeated?

Was she arm-twisted to write the letter? Does she have evidence of the arm-twisting? If she voluntarily withdrew, why did she apply to the Federal High Court to be joined in the suit? Will what is good for the goose, in this case, Austin Umahi, be good for the gander, in this case, Agom-Eze? Will both be, eventually, disqualified?

This hard nut will be cracked between the Courts, if Governor Umahi goes on an appeal, and INEC.