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One state, 2 governors: As Otti issues maiden address to the people; I remain Abia chief executive — Ikpeazu
It would be recalled that a Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri, Imo State, Thursday, set aside the earlier ruling of the state Election Petitions Tribunal which had affirmed the victory of state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the April 11, 2015 governorship elections.
The appeal court in sacking Ikpeazu also ordered the immediate swearing-in of the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr Alex Otti, as governor of the state.
Ikpeazu was declared winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a victory validated by the Election Tribunal.
However, reacting swiftly to the ruling by the Appeal Court, the embattled governor, in a press statement, doused the fears by his supporters, assuring them that he remained governor of the state.
Ikpeazu also hinted of his decision to head to the Supreme Court to challenge the appeal court ruling.
“I have just been informed that the Court of Appeal sitting at Owerri has nullified my victory as the duly elected Governor of Abia State and ordered that one of my opponents at the election, Dr. Alex Otti should be sworn in as the winner of the election.
“As of this moment, I have not received the full briefing on the reason for the decision of the Court of Appeal but my Lawyers are still at the Court waiting to obtain a copy of the Judgment for further studying and it is past 7pm.
“The next 4 days are Public Holidays and the timing of the judgment means that we are losing valuable days to study the judgment and file our Appeal.
“I wish to state at this point that preliminary reports available to me indicate that the premise upon which the decision of the Court of Appeal was arrived at is at best tenuous.
“That being said, I wish to express my utmost confidence in the ability of the Justices of the Supreme Court to correct the anomaly at the Court of Appeal and uphold my victory as had been earlier done by the Tribunal.
“In the interim, while I have instructed my Lawyers to take steps to file an immediate Appeal at the Supreme Court, I wish to assure all Abians that all is well.
“I remain the Governor of Abia State until the Supreme Court reaffirms my mandate which was freely given to me by the good people of Abia State during the elections.
“I call on the Security Agencies to maintain the peace in Abia State and ensure that people go about their legitimate businesses without fear of disruption from any quarters. I also call on our supporters to remain calm in the face of provocation,” Ikpeazu said.
To further heighten the already charged polity in the state, the newly-declared Governor in–waiting, Otti, Friday, issued his maiden address to the people of the state, expressing gratitude to them for their support, even as he promised to unveil his policy framework and programme of action when sworn-in as governor.
The statement signed by Otti, and made available to the media, further confirmed the appeal court ruling, as according to the former banker, ‘we have finally recovered the mandate of the people, which was brazenly and shamelessly stolen from you a few months ago.’
“I am sure that many of you have heard the good news from the Appeal Tribunal that we have finally recovered the mandate of the people, which was brazenly and shamelessly stolen from you a few months ago. This is one good news that travels fast as in the past few hours, I have been inundated with calls, text messages and personal visits from many of you. All well meaning people are rejoicing and there is joy in the land. Praise be to God!
“It is said that the windmill of justice may grind slowly but it surely does grind. After more than seven months of tortuous and needless legal tussle, the will of the people has triumphed!
Today’s ruling is the triumph of the abiding will of the people against the principalities of thuggery, barefaced robbery and high handed impunity. It is victory of the silent majority over a noisy, unjust and parochial minority. My fellow Abians, it is your victory!
“All through this period, my faith in the nation’s justice system never wavered and I am glad that today’s judgment has justified our steadfast belief in the efficacy of the system. In the face of clear injustice, you kept faith in the system and refrained from self help, even in the face of extreme provocation, denial and injustice. I salute your high sense of civic responsibility.
“For all well-meaning citizens of Abia and lovers of progress across Nigeria, the New Year has come a day earlier. On this great day of liberation of the good people of Abia from the bonds of mediocrity and self-centred oligarchy, let us savour the moment that restores our trust in our nation’s judiciary and our undying faith in our heavenly father, whose hand has been guiding this struggle for the return of our beloved state to greatness. You must recall that Abia, until the emergence of incompetent and insensitive “lootocracy”, was the commercial powerhouse of West Africa. It was an industrial centre where multinationals and indigenous entrepreneurs held sway. It was the era that produced such greats men as Michael Okpara, Alvan Ikoku, Dick Tiger, Jaja Wachuku, Nnanna Kalu, OC Ememe and so on. Today, it is a shadow of its former self. Our mission is to restore our beloved state to greatness.
“From inception, our guiding philosophy in leading this liberation struggle has been, ’Abia First’! I sincerely believe that it is Abia first, before any sectional, narrow or personal interest. This philosophy will continue to guide all our decisions and actions as we commence this new journey together. For all of us who believe that it is Abia First, I welcome you to come with us to make our state great again. To our opponents including those responsible for what we have gone through in the last couple of months, we extend a hand of fellowship to them as we invite them to join hands with us as we seek to provide credible leadership to our people and restore their dignity.
“The journey will not be an easy one but I assure you that the result will be fulfilling.
“I shall address you soon in greater detail on our way forward and the challenges we envisage along the way. Meanwhile, please savour the good news and have a very happy new year ahead,” Otti’s statement read.
