Embattled Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has taken the last chance in his struggle to retain his acclaimed mandate from the 2015 general election after he was sacked by the Appeal Court sitting in Imo State.
Ikpeazu on Monday headed to the Supreme Court while still protesting that he is yet to see the judgement of the Appeal Court which sacked him as the state governor last week and instead granted victory to the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Alex Otti.
He also stressed, in a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), that he remains the Abia state governor till the Supreme Court determines the case and gives its judgement.
The letter signed by Wole Olanipekun, the governor’s counsel, read: “our client was elected by the electorate as the governor of Abia State in the governorship election held on 11th and 25th April, 2015.
“Upon his return as the governor by INEC, Mr. Alex Otti and his political party, All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) challenged his return at the governorship election tribunal sitting at Umuahia, and which tribunal dismissed their petition on 3rd November, 2015.
“Being dissatisfied with the judgment of the tribunal, the petitioners appealed to the court of appeal, and by the judgement of the court of appeal delivered on the 31st December, 2015, the court of appeal allowed the appeal and declared Alex Otti as governor of Abia State.
“Our client is naturally dissatisfied with the judgment of the court of appeal and therefore has instructed us to appeal against same to the Supreme Court.
“He has an unimpaired and unfettered constitutional right to appeal against the judgment of the court of appeal to the Supreme Court, under and by virtue of section 233(2)(e)(iv) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). “Under section 143(2) of the electoral act, 2010 (as amended), our client has the statutory right to remain in office pending the expiration of the period within which an appeal shall be filed, assuming without conceding that he does not even want to lodge an appeal against the decision of the court of appeal.
“Upon filing his notice of appeal, our client is also constitutionally entitled to remain in office until the Supreme Court decides and pronounces on his appeal.
“Arising from the foregoing, and bearing in mind the fact that INEC itself is a party to the processing as, and would also be a party to the appeal; Whigs would definitely be filed on behalf of our client immediately on receipt of the judgment of the court of appeal, may we urge on INEC to resist any invitation by anybody or from any quarter to do anything that would work contrary to the clear and express provisions of both the constitution and electoral act in respect of the rest of the appeal particularly, the position of the governor of Abia State, which our client occupies.”
Also, lead counsel for the governor, Mr. Chibuike Nwokeukwu, while addressing journalists during a meeting of elders of Ukwa and Ngwa political bloc at Osisioma Aba, confirmed that the governor had appealed the judgement of the Appeal Court as he was not satisfied with it.
He also noted that his client remained the governor as long as the issue was still being heard.
Dr. Emmanuel Adaelu, who convened the meeting, also told journalists: “we feel very distressed, embarrassed, highly annoyed and we feel that the judgment was a total deprivation of our fundamental human rights particularly when we found out that the reason given for declaring the opponent of the PDP candidate was that the election results were cancelled in Obingwa, the home of the governor, Osisioma and Isiala Ngwa North local governments.
“To us, this is a rape of justice and it is unfair. We do not know why the judges we consider to hold the trust of the nation in relation to justice decided to give that kangaroo verdict.
“How can a court decide to cancel elections in three local governments of Ngwaland and the local government of Governor Ikpeazu?
“That is to say that he did not vote for himself. We feel very distressed because of this disenfranchisement of our people. We have never seen its parallel in the history of election verdicts.”
