Abia Governorship Tussle: Akintola, Ali carpet Agbakoba, Falana
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), has condemned
an earlier opinion credited to his fellow senior colleagues, Olisa
Agbakoba and Femi Falana, that the sitting Governor of Abia State, Dr
Okezie Ikpeazu, is no longer a governor in the eyes of the law.
Akintola said since the governor’s lawyers had submitted the appeal
notice to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it was
wrong for INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to Mr Uche Ogah. He
added that with the ‘immediate effect’ statement of the Federal High
Court, it is of no effect pending the Appeal and Supreme Courts’ d
ecision on the matter.
The foremost lawyer further stated that he was disheartened by the
contradictory and self-serving statements of his fellow learned men,
saying that their position in Amechi vs Omehia and others is contrary
to their take on the current Abia issue involving Ikpeazu and Ogah.
Specifically, he pointed out that both the constitution and the
Electoral Act were unambiguous on the matter. He argued that Uche Ogah
did not participate in the real election, neither did he win the party
primary to be considered as governor of the state.
“In the first place, in the eyes of the law, the order of the court to
INEC to issue Certificate of Return ‘with immediate effect’ was
over-taken by event; the event being the governor’s appeal against the
jugdement which is clearly according to the law.”
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