A federal high court sitting in
Abuja has ruled that Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia state governor, was not
qualified to hold the office.
Okon Abang, the
presiding judge, gave judgment in a suit filed by Uche Ogar, a Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) member, against Ikpeazu.
In the suit, Ogar
contended that the governor evaded tax prior to his election, and as such was
not qualified to hold an elective office.
The judge upheld the
argument, ordering the removal of Ikpeazu for submitting false information
to the PDP in the course of the party’s primary election.
It also ordered the
independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare Uche Ogah, the man
who placed second at the PDP primary, as the elected candidate.
At the primary, Ogah
received 103 votes to place a distant second to Ikpeazu, who had 487 votes.
This is the latest in a
series of legal battles Ikpeazu has faced.
His election was
previously challenged by Alex Otti, candidate of All Progressives Grand
Alliance (APGA) in the April 2015 governorship election.
Although, an election
petition tribunal upheld his election, the appeal sacked him. However,
the supreme court returned him to power.
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