Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
The Ebonyi State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has hailed the Supreme Court of Nigeria for nullifying the judgement of the lower court which sentenced former Abia State Governor and current Chief Whip of the Senate, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, to 12 years imprisonment on corruption charges.
The Chairman of the party in the state, Mr Eze Nwachukwu Eze, addressing reporters in Abakaliki on Saturday, described the judgement delivered by the apex court as a victory for democracy.
He stated that the party in the Ebonyi received the news of the Supreme Court judgement with great joy and jubilation, noting that justice had been served following the acquittal.
“We applaud the nation’s judiciary and the apex court which saw it necessary that justice was strangled along the line,” Mr Eze stated.
“That the judicial procedure that would have given a credible judgement was not followed, thereby setting aside the judgement and ordering for retrial.
“We say it is a welcome development because the earlier judgement brought the transparency of the judiciary to question. We commend the Supreme Court for doing the needful.
“Yes, he has spent months in incarceration but we believe as Christians that God may have used those periods to keep him away from unknown evil and no matter the pains he may have gone through, the joy of his freedom will wash them away.
“The prison experience has also given him an opportunity like he said to know who is who to him, his political and economic allies.”
Nwachukwu described the embattled Abia-born politician and businessman as one of the foremost Igbo leaders that have devoted his entire life, career and wealth for the progress and development of Nigeria.
The party expressed confidence that Kalu, who he described as a “beacon of political hope for the South-East”, would be vindicated at the end of his retrial.