The member, representing Orlu State Constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly, Hon Pascal Okolie, who in a publication in lead Express Newspaper of Wednesday, September, 7, 2022 denied instituting legal action against Comrade Precious Nwadike, the Labour Party candidate for Orlu State constituency has, to the surprise of many revealed why he dragged the Labour Party candidate to court.
According to the suit with No: FHC/OW/CS/33/22 which Pascal Okolie instituted at the Federal High Court, Owerri, he is praying the court to disqualify Nwadike on the ground that the latter is still a member of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and is not eligible to contest election on the platform of the Labour Party.
Some political pundits who commented on the recent development expressed disappointment at what they referred to as Pascal Okolie’s inconstituency which according to them projects him in very bad light.
They wondered “what prompted his going to the press to publicly deny instituting legal action against Comrade Precious Nwadike only to eat his vomit by giving reasons for his reprehensible action which was borne out fear and desperation”.
Continuing, they said, “it is now obvious that Pascal Okolie was being economical with the truth, probably to avoid incurring the wrath of Orlu people who are not only pleased with Nwadike’s aspiration to represent Orlu State Constituency but also see it as the dawn of a glorious new era”.
Recall, that Hon Okolie who is seeking re-election on the platform of the PDP, had on page 11 of Lead Express Newspaper edition of Wednesday, September, 7, 2022 described Comrade Nwadike as “a good friend who has never offended me in any way. Hence, there is no need whatsoever for me to drag him to court or seek his disqualification”.
According to a source who pleaded anonymity, “now that the incumbent lawmaker for Orlu L.G.A has braved the odds to accept the truth, the question is, why did he deny it initially and what was he trying to avoid? The answer is simple. He knows that he is desperately swimming against the tide. He has also further enhanced the erosion of the already depleted confidence and trust of the disappointed Orlu electorate who have never had it so bad”.
Aside his lackluster performance and lack of concern for the pitiable plight of the Orlu electorate that he claims to represent, his disrespect for the zoning arrangement which he is a product of, will certainly be his undoing when the chips are down. He may have manipulated his way at the primaries but the maim election is where the collective wish of the people will be endorsed in practical terms”.
“For an incumbent lawmaker to file a suit seeking to disqualify a co-contestant means that he is either jittery and scared of losing or wants to run as a sole candidate to avoid competition”.
It would be recalled that Pascal Okolie who was elected into the House of Assembly on the basis of the rotation agreement between the Orsu and Isu clans which made Hon Marcel Odunze not to seek re-election after his tenure despite his remarkable performance insisted on breaching the zoning arrangement despite entreaties from different quarters to step down for an Isu person to represent the constituency in 2023.
