COURT OF APPEAL REAFFIRM IKPEAZU AS ABIA STATE GOVERNOR

The battle for Abia State Government house seems to be finally over, as Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the election of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu as governor of Abia. Justice Morenikeji Ogunwumiju who led other four justices of the appellate court unanimously set aside the June 27 decision of Federal High Court which sacked Ikpeazu from office.The other judges are Justice Abubakar Yahaya, Justice Philomena Ekpe, Justice Ibrahim Bdliya and Justice Saidu Hussaini. Ogunwumiju said: “the worrisome aspect of the trial decision was that the judge imported words into the PDP guidelines to gain appropriate grip on the appellant’’.“It is my opinion that Justice Okon Abang sat in his Chamber to speculate what Ikpeazu earned while he served as a Civil Servant in Abia State.“The annoying part is that, he went further to bar the Director of Abia State Revenue Authority, Mr James Okogie, from giving evidence, describing the move as an afterthought.“This can simply be described as an abortion of justice as the governor was not giving fair hearing to defend himself,’’ Ogunwumiju held.

She said: “in the light of the above, the decision of the trial court dated June 27 is set aside along with the consequential order’’“By this, we mean Ikpeazu is returned as governor of Abia State,’’ she held.