Reports from Abia State indicate that the chief judge of the state, Justice Theresa Uzoukwu, has ‘disappeared’ as part of the build up of a political leadership crisis in the southern state.
Two key actors are in a tussle for the governorship of the Abia. There is the challenger, Dr. Samson Ogah is a People’s Democratic Party, PDP, governorship aspirant who came second in the primaries that produced sitting governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has the candidate of the party in the 2015 elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had earlier on Thursday, June 29, 2016 issued Ogah a certificate of return, thus withdrawing the one that earlier by Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu and paved the way for the swearing in of Ogah.
The action by INEC followed a federal high court judgment by Justice Okon Abang declaring Ikpeazu unqualified over alleged forged tax returns.
However, there is a court order barring the execution of the Justice Okon Abang judgement pending the outcome of Ikpeazu’s appeal. It appears that INEC deliberately ignored this court order and went ahead to issue a certificate of return to Ogar.
Ikpeazu has obtained an ex-parte injunction issued by Justice C. H. Ahuchaogu of the Abia State High Court, Osisioma, restraining the chief judge and any other judicial officer from swearing in Ogah.
In all of this, the state’s chief judge is “nowhere to be found”, according to a reliable source in the state.
Ikpeazu, had in a statement he signed, insisted that he remains the governor of the state, appealing to the people of the state to remain calm.
In another development, Governor Ikpeazu has declared Friday and Monday next week as public holidays in honour of Chief Ojo Maduekwe, a prominent Abia son and former foreign affairs minister, who died in Abuja on Wednesday.
Ogar Arrives Abia, Heads For Secret Police Office
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ogah, who arrived at Umuahia from Abuja at about 5.45 p.m, headed straight to the office of the state’s director of the Department for State Security Service (DSS), Nigeria’s secret police in Umuahia, where he held a closed-door marathon meeting with the state director, Mr Korede Kamoju.
The meeting lasted until about 8.10 p.m.
Ogah left the DSS in a long motorcade but could not be reached by the journalists, who had waited throughout the period of the meeting for his comments on the unfolding political development in the state.
A lawyer and supporter of Dr. Oga told News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, said that a chief judge from one of the neighbouring states in the South-East could be engaged to swear in Ogah, citing the case of Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers as an instance.
Observers believe that the declaration of Friday and Monday as public holiday was done to further stall the inauguration of the new governor.
