Ikpeazu Loses in Court as Judge Refuses to Set Aside Order Sacking Him as Governor

At the Federal High Court sitting today in Abuja, Justice Okon Abang, says he will not set aside his previous order removing Okezie Ikpeazu as governor of Abia state.

He made this disclosure as Governor Ikpeazu's legal counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), earlier filed an application asking the court to vacate the order which sacked his client as governor. He informed the judge that his client had filed a better affidavit in response to the matter for stay of execution.


“Ikpeazu has so sent his legal team to file a better and comprehensive notice of appeal on the stay of proceedings than the one filed on the 28 June, 2016. We want to bring up this notice to your lordship’s attention ,including the fact that Ikpeazu wants the matter resolved speedily with the speed of light if possible," Olanipekun said.

In his ruling on Monday, Justice Abang said that he would not set aside the order sacking Ikpeazu, but that he would hear other applications on the matter on Thursday. However, Olanipekun asked the court for an adjournment to allow the legal team of the embattled governor time to respond to the affidavit filed by the defendant, Ogah.

“We are not used to asking for adjournment but we are asking for the deferment of the matter till the next available working day in view of the public holiday,” he said. But counsel to Ogah, Dr Alex Izinyon urged the court to refuse the application for adjournment and argued that Ikpeazu went to get an order from an Abia State High Court on 30the June 2016 seeking that his client be stopped from being sworn in as governor of the state when the appeal for stay of execution was pending.

He contended that the move by Ikpeazu was wrong and as such should not be allowed by the court.