Two Federal High Courts in Friday ruled on the controversial Abia State Governorship tussle, giving conflicting judgements on the case that has virtually put the state on its tethers.
While the federal high court in Owerri, Imo state, affirmed the election of Okezie Ikpeazu, governor of Abia state, in a case filed by Friday Nwosu, one of the governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party, Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Abuja, refused to hear Ikpeazu’s application for stay of execution of the June 27 judgment of the court removing him (Ikpeazu) as governor.
Justice A.I. Allagoa in dismissing Nwosu’s tax forgery suit against Ikpeazu, said the applicant could not substantiate the claim that Ikpeazu’s documents were forged.
Nwosu had also argued that federal high court in Abuja erred in declaring Uche Ogah, who Ogah came second in the PDP primary, as governor-elect.
In his on ruling, Justice Abang instead directed Ikpeazu and Uche Ogah, who are both claiming to be the legitimate Governor of Abia State to go before the Court of Appeal for the resolution of the stalemate in the state.
He also directed that Ikpeazu and Ogah, who was ordered to be issued fresh Certificate of Return in the June 27 judgment, should go to the Court of Appeal to argue the motion for stay of execution.
This he said was because the lawyers to the two of them (Ikpeazu and Ogah) had argued that he (the judge) no longer had jurisdiction to hear the motion.
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