ABUJA — The Federal Government, yesterday, distanced itself from the governorship crisis currently rocking Abia State.



This came as Governor Okezie Ikpeazu alleged that there was a plot by “desparate politicians” to kidnap judicial officers in Abia State to swear-in Dr. Uche Ogah, who was issued a certificate of return last week by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. But Uche Ogah said the fight to swear him in as governor of Abia State was still on and expressed hope that God would see him through.

However, the Federal Government, through the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, said it never influenced the INEC to issue certificate of return to Ogah. The AGF, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Salihu Isah, urged all the parties involved in the governorship tussle to await the “decision of the courts” on the matter. Malami maintained that so far, nobody had approached him to proffer any legal opinion on the crisis. Ikpeazu and Ogah He said:

“The attention of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has been drawn to the insinuations and crass lies being peddled and disseminated by a cross-section of Nigerians and the various media platforms that the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation is behind the legal logjam over the Abia State governorship seat and wishes to clarify that those canvassing this position have no basis to do so.



“Of particular concern are those who have peddled ill-natured rumours with a view to misinforming our discerning populace that it was the Attorney General of the Federation and by extension, the Federal Government of Nigeria, that gave directives to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to issue Certificate of Return to Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah declaring him governor-elect.

“He has definitely not taken any action either by spoken words or body language as far as this Abia governorship crisis is concerned.

“I wish to, therefore, on behalf of my principal, declare that these rumours are untrue and a figment of the imagination of those pushing these selfish, shameless and irredeemable lies into public space which only translates to partisanship on the side of its purveyors.

“As far as the Attorney General of the Federation is concerned, the constitutional powers for the legal opinion of his office have not been invoked on this issue. “So far, nobody has approached him to proffer any legal opinion to it.

As a strong believer in the rule of law, it is his belief that the law should naturally take its course “The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation will not be dragged into this controversy and mind-games being played out by the various legal minds and spin doctors of both camps at this point.

“The parties involved should await the decision of the courts. “In fact, we wish to, by this statement, advise those in the habit of dragging the highly esteemed Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice into knotty issue of this kind even when it is yet to take a position.

They should desist from these unwarranted presumptions henceforth.” Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja had on June 27, sacked Governor Ikpeazu of Abia State from office over alleged tax fraud. Aside ordering him to immediately vacate his office, the court further directed INEC to issue a fresh certificate of return to Dr. Ogah, who came second in the primary election of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that produced Ikpeazu. Though INEC had since issued certificate of return to Ogah, another court in Abia State, however, restrained the Chief Judge from swearing him in.

Plot to kidnap judges Meanwhile, Governor Ikpeazu has alleged that there was a “plot to kidnap judicial officers in Abia State” to swear-in Ogah. Ikpeazu’s allegation came on the heels of the position of Ogah that the refusal of the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Theresa Uzokwe, to swear him in as the duly elected governor of the state was an affront on the rule of law. I never absconded from office —CJ But the judge has said that she never absconded from duty to avoid swearing in of Ogah as governor of Abia State, insisting that she was in office on Thursday, June 30, 2016, till 4.30 pm.

A statement by the Acting Chief Registrar, Abia State Judiciary, Mrs. Vicky Analaba, said: “The attention of the Chief Judge of Abia State, Justice Theresa Uzoamaka Uzokwe, has been drawn to various spurious and mischievous reports alleging that the Chief Judge absconded from her duty post on Thursday, June 30, 2016, to avoid swearing in Uche Ogah as Governor of Abia State. “Contrary to the allegations of cowardice by mischievous politicians, the Chief Judge, was in her office throughout the working hours on Thursday, June 30, 2016 from 8:30 a.m. till 4:30 p.m.



“For the avoidance of doubt, on Thursday, June 30, 2016, the Chief Judge was in her court room performing her lawful duties, including the delivery of four rulings on that date.

“The particulars of the ruling in question are: HU/35CM/2015 Francis Akor vs the State; HU/ICM/2016-Johnson Asiegbu vs. Commissioner of Police, HU/42CM/2016-Onyekachi Samuel vs. Commissioner of Police; HU/34CM/2016-Lucky Sampson vs. the State.

“These facts are verifiable and in the records of the court. The various lawyers who appeared in the respective suits listed above are also living witnesses.

“This press release has become necessary in order to avoid further mischief and to set the records straight.” Raising the kidnap alarm, Ikpeazu in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Enyinnaya Appolos said:

“The state government has uncovered plots by desperate politicians to kidnap judicial officers in the state. “We call on security agencies in the state to increase surveillance and protection services around all judicial officers in the state.

“We wish to warn those involved in this plot to desist from their nefarious activities as the government will not hesitate to apply the full weight of the law against them.

“We also call on Abians to be vigilant and report any suspicious movements around them to the security.” Ogah had accused the Chief Judge of Abia State, Justice Theresa Uzokwe of constituting “an affront on the rule of law” by refusing to swear him in as duly-elected governor of the state,” saying the action was capable of undermining the peace and stability of the state.

According to him, the stay of execution of order secured from an Abia High Court in Osisioma has no force of law as the court has coordinate jurisdiction with a Federal High Court. “A High Court in Abia is a court of coordinate jurisdiction with a Federal High Court and so any order given by such court to contradict an earlier order of the same court is ipso facto null and void. It is only a higher court that has the legal capacity to reverse the earlier order or judgment,” Ogah was quoted as saying through his Special Adviser on Public Communications, Monday Ubani. Abia PDP accuses Ogah of nursing unbridled ambition On its own, Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused Ogah of nursing “unbridled ambition” and alleged that he was plotting to kidnap judicial officers to swear him in as governor of Abia State. A statement by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Chief Don Ubani, stated:

“The Peoples’ Democratic Party in Abia State has frowned on the reports making round in the state that a certain desperate politician in the state, whose illegal efforts to seize power from the back door which has been frustrated by decent application of the rule of law, is now directing his evil machination towards kidnapping judicial officers in the state with the hope of intimidating them in order to have access to power that he did not canvass for.

“The party has equally taken cognizance of the inordinately ambitious politician’s plot to kidnap some top functionaries of the party in the state.

According to intelligence available to the party, the political desperado is embittered with the state executive of the party for not coming out to support his acts of illegality.

“The party, therefore, cautions the politician that is involved in this sacrilegious and bloody shenanigan to quickly retrace his nefarious steps as the likely consequences of his devious desires and mischievous plots would compound his imagination and would only leave him with regrets that may not be redressed or even corrected in his life time. “The party wishes to remind him that he who throws stones into a crowded market should not forget that his loved ones could end up being the victims of his action.”

The fight is still on —Ogah But speaking, yesterday, on developments in the state, Ogah said the fight to swear him in as governor was still on. Ogah said he was hopeful that God would see him through the fight, adding that this was not the time to talk much.

Source>>>http://www.barbaric.com.ng/battle-abia-ogah-planning-kidnap-judicial-officers-ikpeazu-alleges/

Wow!!!

Lol Naija which way?

Personally, I prefer Ogah.

What's my business anyways? I'm a Rivers man.

Let's wait for Appeal Court

Yeye country