Ikpeazu calls for calm as Abia awaits Supreme Court verdict
Stakeholders in Abia State have called for calm as they await the decision of the Supreme Court over December 31 verdict of the Appeal Court, which upturned the election of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and declared the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr. Alex Otti winner.
The stakeholders have however said it was important to consider and ensure that over 300,000 voters in the state were not disenfranchised as they also hoped that appropriate justice would be done on the decision of the Court of Appeal.
As the supporters of the two candidates await the apex’s court decision, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Mr. Godwin Adindu has called for calm as he expressed hope that justice would be done.
According to him, “We still believe that in a country where everybody has equal rights it would be an act of injustice to disenfranchise about 300,000 registered voters in three local government areas in Abia.”
He lamented that the Court of Appeal in its ruling on December 31, 2105, cancelled the entire results of Obingwa, Osisioma and Isiala Ngwa North local government areas, which had over 300,000 registered voters, out of which 228,932 had collected Permanent Voter Cards (PVC). With the cancellation, the five-member Court of Appeal panel ruled that Mr. Otti won with 164,444 valid votes as against 114,444 valid votes for Governor Ikpeazu.
The governor’s spokesman said this is the first time a governor was being disenfranchised together with his siblings, cousins, relatives, his village and community. “Governor Okezie Ikpeazu is being denied his own vote, the vote of his wife and children, the vote of his siblings, cousins and relatives. He is being denied the vote of his state and Federal constituencies even when his opponent did not field any candidate in these areas,” he said.
Looking at the implications of the decision of the appellate court, Adindu said, “It would mark the first time one man and his cousin would be governor and deputy governor at the same time. This is the first time a governorship candidate who never raised a state constituency candidate will turn around to ambush the results from the area for cancellation. APGA did not field House of Assembly candidates for the two state constituencies in Obingwa (Obingwa East and West), yet it ambushed the governorship election results of Obingwa for total cancellation.”
He also said the judgement would amount to being the first time somebody who never raised a candidate for a Federal constituency will waylay the results from that constituency for annulment stressing “APGA did not field a candidate for Obingwa/Osisioma/Ugwunagbo Federal constituency, yet it ambushed the governorship election results from Obingwa and Osisioma for total cancellation. Engr. Solomon Adaelu of the PDP, representing Obingwa/Osisioma/Ugwunagbo Federal constituency, did not have any APGA rival in the electoral contest.”
He urged that fair-mined Nigerians should rise up to ensure that justice was done, saying: “All that we are after is equity, justice and fairness.”
He said the people of Abia South senatorial zone would also have been condemned to second fiddle if the judgment of the Court of Appeal election panel was allowed to stand.
He said since the creation of the state in 1991, Abia North and Abia Central senatorial zones have produced Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu (1999 to 2007) and Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji (2007 to 2015) as governors. Dr Ikpeazu is from Abia south, while both Mr Otti and his running mate, are not only from Abia North senatorial zone, but also from the same Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal constituency.
He said since the creation of the state in 1991, Abia North and Abia Central senatorial zones have produced Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu (1999 to 2007) and Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji (2007 to 2015) as governors. Dr Ikpeazu is from Abia south, while both Mr Otti and his running mate, are not only from Abia North senatorial zone, but also from the same Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal constituency.
He said that it was a misplacement of justice for the APGA governorship candidate that could not raise candidates for most of the federal and state constituencies in the three disputed local government areas to be allowed to become governor by default.
Adindu said the most plausible option in the circumstance would be to order for fresh election in the dispute areas, rather than an outright cancellation of the votes adding that what the people of the state desired was good governance, which they had experienced in the first 200 days of Governor Ikpeazu.
“Abia State is not for sale and nobody should trifle with the destiny of the people,” he cautioned.
As the supporters of the two candidates await the apex’s court decision, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Mr. Godwin Adindu has called for calm as he expressed hope that justice would be done.
According to him, “We still believe that in a country where everybody has equal rights it would be an act of injustice to disenfranchise about 300,000 registered voters in three local government areas in Abia.”
He lamented that the Court of Appeal in its ruling on December 31, 2105, cancelled the entire results of Obingwa, Osisioma and Isiala Ngwa North local government areas, which had over 300,000 registered voters, out of which 228,932 had collected Permanent Voter Cards (PVC). With the cancellation, the five-member Court of Appeal panel ruled that Mr. Otti won with 164,444 valid votes as against 114,444 valid votes for Governor Ikpeazu.
The governor’s spokesman said this is the first time a governor was being disenfranchised together with his siblings, cousins, relatives, his village and community. “Governor Okezie Ikpeazu is being denied his own vote, the vote of his wife and children, the vote of his siblings, cousins and relatives. He is being denied the vote of his state and Federal constituencies even when his opponent did not field any candidate in these areas,” he said.
Looking at the implications of the decision of the appellate court, Adindu said, “It would mark the first time one man and his cousin would be governor and deputy governor at the same time. This is the first time a governorship candidate who never raised a state constituency candidate will turn around to ambush the results from the area for cancellation. APGA did not field House of Assembly candidates for the two state constituencies in Obingwa (Obingwa East and West), yet it ambushed the governorship election results of Obingwa for total cancellation.”
He also said the judgement would amount to being the first time somebody who never raised a candidate for a Federal constituency will waylay the results from that constituency for annulment stressing “APGA did not field a candidate for Obingwa/Osisioma/Ugwunagbo Federal constituency, yet it ambushed the governorship election results from Obingwa and Osisioma for total cancellation. Engr. Solomon Adaelu of the PDP, representing Obingwa/Osisioma/Ugwunagbo Federal constituency, did not have any APGA rival in the electoral contest.”
He urged that fair-mined Nigerians should rise up to ensure that justice was done, saying: “All that we are after is equity, justice and fairness.”
He said the people of Abia South senatorial zone would also have been condemned to second fiddle if the judgment of the Court of Appeal election panel was allowed to stand.
He said since the creation of the state in 1991, Abia North and Abia Central senatorial zones have produced Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu (1999 to 2007) and Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji (2007 to 2015) as governors. Dr Ikpeazu is from Abia south, while both Mr Otti and his running mate, are not only from Abia North senatorial zone, but also from the same Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal constituency.
He said since the creation of the state in 1991, Abia North and Abia Central senatorial zones have produced Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu (1999 to 2007) and Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji (2007 to 2015) as governors. Dr Ikpeazu is from Abia south, while both Mr Otti and his running mate, are not only from Abia North senatorial zone, but also from the same Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal constituency.
He said that it was a misplacement of justice for the APGA governorship candidate that could not raise candidates for most of the federal and state constituencies in the three disputed local government areas to be allowed to become governor by default.
Adindu said the most plausible option in the circumstance would be to order for fresh election in the dispute areas, rather than an outright cancellation of the votes adding that what the people of the state desired was good governance, which they had experienced in the first 200 days of Governor Ikpeazu.
“Abia State is not for sale and nobody should trifle with the destiny of the people,” he cautioned.
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