By Fortune Eromosele

The Chairman, National Rescue Movement (NRM), Amb. Isaac Chigozie Udeh has welcomed a recent court ruling affirming his position as the party’s authentic national chairman.

In a phone interview with journalists on Sunday, Udeh described the judgement as a “vindication by God” and pledged to improve his leadership style to ensure the party’s success in the democratic space.

The Federal High Court’s ruling on April 19th put to rest any doubts about Udeh’s position, recognizing him as the legitimate national chairman of NRM, as acknowledged by the law and INEC.

Udeh attributed the crisis within the party to the desperation of some persons, who sought to remove him as chairman.

According to him, “The court ruling has proven that I am the National Chairman of National Rescue Movement ( NRM). Not just the chairman but the authentic national chairman of the party as recognised by the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and INEC.

“This victory is for our party NRM. It is a victory for democracy, a victory for all members of the party, NRM in general, and a victory for those who stood by me from the beginning, which is those who stood for the truth and saw what happened on the 23rd of October last year as a jamboree.

“The court has vindicated my position, that of my supporters in the party, and INEC. I will ensure that everybody will be carried along in the party.

“My leadership style did not create any crisis in the party but what created the crisis was the desperation of some persons in the party who taught that it is business as usual whereby the NEC members can be bought over with money.

“The desperation of a seating national welfare officer of the party, the least position of the party executives and he became so desperate that his whole interest was to remove me as national chairman and assume my position.

“I am going to ensure that the leadership style I have, which is one of the best in this country is improved.”

Regarding the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Edo State, Udeh revealed that the party’s strategy is to present a candidate with integrity, who is acceptable to the people and has been a victim of bad governance.

With the court ruling, Udeh clarified that there is only one NRM party and one candidate, putting to rest any notion of factions within the party.

He said, “Our determination during elections is always to win and not to be traded during elections. And we have never been traded not even once since 2019 till 2023 general elections.

“The only thing is that it is very difficult for new parties to win elections in this country. The mechanism that I will employ in Edo State to win the forthcoming gubernatorial election is good thinking and good product.

“That is putting a man of integrity, spotless and unpolluted candidate that has the people in heart, a man who has been a victim of bad governance in the state since 1999 till date, having such a man is the number one mechanism because he is an acceptable candidate to the people of the state.

“We have only one NRM and the party has only one candidate. I want to state it here clearly that we have no two camps in NRM by this judgement of the federal high court on the 18th of April 2024. It is clear that we do not have factions.”