The appeal was made over the weekend by youths affiliated with the Ezza North Youths General Assembly in the state where Odoh is from.
They said the appeal was in the interest of peace and development of the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Nwifuru who was the candidate of APC winner of the election after he scored 199,131 votes to defeat Ifenayi Odii of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 80, 191 votes, while Odoh polled 52,189 votes to take third place in the elections.
But Odoh rejected the declaration and proceeded to the Election Petition Tribunal where he is currently challenging the declaration. The youths in a communiqué signed by Emeka Nwokporo and Mr. Titus Eze, and 20 others called on the former University don to withdraw the suit and join hands with Governor Nwifuru to move the state forward.
The communiqué reads in part: “The apex youth organization hereby seizes this opportunity to call on our dear brother, Prof. Benard Ifeanyi Odo to as a matter of patriotism retrace his steps by accepting the result of the last concluded governorship election in the state; withdraw the electoral petition instituted against the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru FNIOB FCAI GGCEHF at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
“Prof. Odo has fought gallantly during the election and failed. Therefore, he should be bound by the brotherly bond between Ezza and Izzi people by taking a positive side with his brother, Governor Nwifuru instead of pitching tenth with him on the wrong side.
As a matter of urgency, we call on the traditional rulers, super stakeholders, and religious leaders from Ezza extraction, especially His Lordship, the Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese, Bishop Peter Nworie Chukwu to prevail on Prof. Odo to show the spirit of sportsmanship by accepting defeat; withdraw the suit instituted against the Governor from the court, and join hands with him to move the state forward as Izzi and Ezza people are brothers and when two brothers fight to death, the enemies will inherit their property.