Abia Governorship Tussle: Okezie Ikpeazu wins at Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has affirmed Okezie Ikpeazu as the Governor of Abia State.

Delivering judgement on Friday, the apex court faulted the judgement of the High Court which sacked Ikpeazu as governor, even as it awarded the sum of N250,000 against Ogah.

Recall that the case was filed by Uche Ogah who had accused Ikpeazu of allegedly submitting false tax information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Ikpeazu defeated Ogah in the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, primaries ahead of the 2015 gubernatorial election in the state.

Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Abuja had on June 27, 2016 sacked Ikpeazu from office as governor of Abia State, after the court found him guilty of tax offences.

Abang ordered Ikpeazu to vacate office for Ogah, who challenged Ikpeazu’s eligibility to contest the 2015 governorship election as the flag bearer of the PDP.

Following the judgment and order for the immediate inauguration of Ogah as Abia governor, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, issued him with the Certificate of Return.

But in another judgement in August, 2016, the Court of Appeal affirmed the election of Ikpeazu and quashed the judgment of Justice Abang.

The Court of Appeal described the ruling by Justice Abang as a rape of democracy, and ordered Ikpeazu to retain his office.

Subsequently, Ogah approached the Supreme Court where he prayed that the High Court judgement should be upheld.