The Conference of United Political Parties, CUPP, has commended the people of Enugu State for their peaceful conduct during the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections, saying they spoke through the ballot.
CUPP spoke at a press briefing in Enugu where it described the victory of many Labour Party candidates as historic.
The group urged the people of the State to brace up for the governorship election on March 11, 2023, noting that the choice would be based on track record not on any political party.
Chairman of the CUPP, Ogbonna Festus Okafor, who hailed the turnout of the electorate, said the fallout showed that it was no longer business as usual.
According to him, “What it means is that Enugu people are now very much politically active. May we, therefore, start by congratulating the people of the State for the outcome of the exercise.
“Without mincing words, the outcome of the National Assembly elections in Enugu State is a clear testament to the fact that power indeed belongs to the people.
“Before now, elections in Enugu were highly predictable. But all that changed; all permutations were made nullity by the outcome of the polls.
“We at the CUPP make bold to say that the success is well-deserved, considering that the people have yearned for change since 1999. It has not been wonderful that a particular set of people dominated the political space since 1999.
“We say congratulations to the Enugu people; they are the winners; they are the real heroes of democracy. To the winners, we urge them to be magnanimous in victory; they should learn from what happened during this election. It is no longer business as usual.
“Those in positions of authority must be responsible and accountable to the masses. For Ndi Enugu, they have written their names in history for deepening the country’s democracy. History will never forget those who were part of this positive move.”
The CUPP also dissociated itself from the claim of endorsing a particular governorship candidate, saying such claims should be ignored.