APC's Mistake Was Not Giving Me Governorship Ticket, Says Uche Nwosu

The outcome of the elections has justified us. We joined the AA two months to the election and I won the governorship election if not for the manipulations.

Uche Nwosu, governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in Imo State, says the All Progressives Congress (APC) made a mistake in not giving him the ticket to contest the March 9 governorship election on its platform.

He also accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of sending Hope Uzodinma, the APC governorship candidate, to cause crisis in the party.

He stated this at an event in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Tuesday.

Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP had polled 273,404 votes to defeat his closest rival, Uche Nwosu, who polled 190,364 votes, while APC's Uzodimma came third with 96,458 votes.

Nwosu is, however, challenging the election result at the tribunal.

He said: “The national leadership of the APC made a mistake by not giving the party’s governorship ticket to me. We warned them against giving the ticket to Hope Uzodinma, but the leadership of the party ignored our warnings.

“The outcome of the elections has justified us. We joined the AA two months to the election and I won the governorship election if not for the manipulations.

“We also won eight seats in the state House of Assembly. Action Alliance also won two seats in the House of Representatives.

“Now that they have realised their mistake, we are ready to form alliance with APC to reclaim our mandate.”

Nwosu said he filed a petition at the tribunal against the declaration of Emeka Ihedioha as governor-elect because the PDP candidate did not meet the constitutional requirements.

“I have petitioned the tribunal and I am sure that the issues raised which bother on the constitution cannot be swept away. I am certain that I will reclaim my mandate in no distant time,” he said.