Okezie Ikpeazu has declared that he is still the Governor of Abia state in spite of the fact that the Independent National Electoral Commission has issued a Certificate of Return of to Uche Ogah who came second at the Peoples Democratic Party primaries in 2014.
An Abuja Federal High Court had on Monday, June 27 ruled that Ikpeazu was illegitimately elected as the PDP’s standard bearer, owing to his filing of false tax returns.
Consequently, the court ordered INEC to immediately issue a Certificate of Return to Ogah – which was carried out earlier on Thursday, June 30.
However, Ikpeazu insists that having filed an appeal against the ruling, the action of INEC was null and void.
“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.”
“Our laws are clear on this matter. No one may be issued with a certificate of return let alone be sworn in as governor, when there is a subsisting appeal and application for stay.”
“I want to appeal to Abians to remain calm and law abiding in the face of this provocation, unless and until the appellant courts have conclusively resolve the appeal, the status remains, I am still the Governor of Abia State.”
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