Abia State Governor Ikpeazu defies federal court order to quit as Abia State Governor.
On Thursday, Ikpeazu urged residents of Abia State to disregard claims of his removal from office as governor and told them to continue with their normal business activities.
Mr. Ikpeazu’s appeal for calm, followed the withdrawal of his certificate of return by
the Independent National Electoral Commission which issued same to his challenger in his party's gubernatorial primaries in 2014.
Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, the spokesman for INEC, said the electoral umpire issued certificate
of return to Uche Ogah after Mr. Ikpeazu failed to send notice of appeal against the ruling of a Federal High Court on Monday.
Abang Okon, who handed down the ruling, said Mr. Ikpeazu presented fraudulent tax documents to run for governor as alleged by Mr. Ogah before the court. Consequently, Mr.Okon ordered Mr. Ikpeazu to vacate office immediately.
But in a statement he issued shortly after news circulated that Mr. Ogah had been issued
certificate of return by INEC, Mr. Ikpeazu said it was wrong for the electoral body to have
proceeded with such action since he had appealed the ruling.
“I have received with concern report of the purported issuance of Certificate of Return to
Mr. Uche Ogah by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as governor of
Abia State, despite dependency of a notice of appeal and motion for stay of the orders made by
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal
High Court, Abuja.
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