More confusion has engulfed Abia state as Justice A.I Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Owerri affirmed the election of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu while a Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the judgment removing Ikpeazu remained valid until it is set aside by the Court of Appeal.

The two judgments were delivered on Friday.

The Abuja Federal High Court affirmed in two separately rulings that the certificate of return issued to Uche Ogah by the Independent National Electoral Commission paving the way for him to be sworn in as Governor of Abia State, was valid.

Justice Okon Abang ruled that the two separate judgments delivered on June 27, removing Onyechi Ikpeazu as Governor of Abia State and ordering Ogah to be sworn in his stead could no longer be stayed since the Independent National Electoral Commission had already issued fresh certificate of return to Ogah.

“Therefore, the INEC lawfully issued Certificate of Return to Dr. Sampson Ikpeazu as it was in line with the judgment of this court.”

The judge made this declaration in two separate rulings dismissing the motions for stay of execution filed by Ikpeazu and the Peoples Democratic Party with respect to one of the two judgments delivered on June 27.

The June 27 judgments were delivered in two suits separately filed by Ogah and one Obasi Uba Eleagbara.

While the court refused to hear Ikpeazu’s motion for stay of execution of the judgment with respect to the case numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/71/2016 which was personally filed by Ogah, the court dismissed a similar motion filed by the embattled governor and the PDP with respect to the suit, numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/1086/2014.

With regard to the first case (filed by Ogah), the judge ruled that he could not go ahead to hear the motion for stay of execution since lawyers to the opposing parties (Ogah and Ikpeazu) had both submitted that the court no longer had jurisdiction to hear it because the appeal against the court’s judgment had been entered and appeal number issued.

But the court dismissed the motion for stay of execution filed by Ikpeazu with respect to the judgment on the case filed by Eleagbara, on the grounds that it lacked merit.

Though Ikpeazu’s lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), sought to withdraw the application after the judge refused his request for an adjournment of the hearing on the motion, the judge held that the prayer for its withdrawal was belated since Ogah’s lawyer, Alex Izinyon (SAN) had been made to file a counter-affidavit opposing it.

The judge held that since issues had been joined, the motion for stay of execution was deemed to have been heard regardless of whether it was formally moved in the open court.

Justice Abang also held that since INEC had issued Certificate of Return to Ogah, there was nothing left to be stayed.

That was even as Justice A.I Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Owerri ruled that the tax documents where not forged, and went further to dismissed the matter.

He ruled on the matter filed by Mr. Friday Nwosu against, Ikpeazu, Uche Ogah, PDP and INEC, on alleged forgery of tax documents by Governor Ikpeazu. [myad]

The governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose has admitted that he actually bought several houses worth N1. 35 Billion in Lagos and Abuja, but that he owned such properties legitimately.

In a statement aimed at pre-empting the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over the illegal acquisition of properties bought with stolen funds from the coffers of a state that has not been able to pay workers’ salaries for over six months, Fayose confessed that some of his aides assisted him to buy properties in Lagos and Abuja.

Not knowing that his agents and  contractors had admitted that he stole Ekiti state funds to purchase the properties, Fayose claimed that he bought them from the “campaign fund’ donated to him by zenith bank plc and some unnamed friends.

Reacting to the confession, the Coordinator of Value and Integrity Group (VIG),  Sina Odugbemi, noted that the more Fayose talks the more he implicates himself.

“Whether the N1.2 billion was stolen from the office of the NSA, Colonel Sambo Dasuki through Mr. Obanikoro or donated by zenith bank plc the EFCC has the power to recover the criminally diverted fund. Granted that zenith bank plc donated the fund does the financial institution have the power to remove depositors’ fund and donate it to Mr. Fayose for his political campaign? Can a bank contribute N1.2 billion to a political campaign of a politician?

“Has Mike Ozekhome SAN forgotten to educate his client whose confessional statements are sufficient to convict him in a court of law. Is Ozekhome not aware that the maximum amount stipulate for political expenses  of a governorship candidate  is N200 million whereas his client has admitted that he spent N1.2 billion? Has Ozekhome not made it clear to his client that the N1.2 billion is forfeitable since it was either stolen from the office of the NSA or from the vault of a bank being depositors’ fund?

“However, the EFCC must be commended for carrying out a professional investigation which is so thorough that the explanations of the suspect, Mr. Fayose, look so unintelligent. Surely, Mr. Fayose stands to forfeit all the properties and other assets traced to the campaign fund of  N1.2 billion, whether stolen from the government of Nigeria or donated illegally by  zenith bank plc. But since the efcc has shown that the money for the properties was stolen from the account of Ekiti state government through contractors, what is the explanation of Mr. stomach infrastructure?

“Mr. Fayose claimed that the N1.2 billion traced to him was donated by zenith bank and unnamed friends. He said that he spent the entire fund on his election. Now, the efcc has found and confirmed  that he bought properties worth N1.35 billion within 6 months of his inauguration. Will Mr. Fayose or his lawyer, Mr. Ozekhome add up the figures for the members of the public?” [myad]

The General Overseer of Victory Assembly Ministry (VAM), Bishop Jonathan Eze has warned the Niger Delta militants to stop blowing up oil pipelines as the spiritual leaders will no longer sit back to watch militants destroy the country.

“If the militants do not stop this madness, we will fight them spiritually and subdue them.”

Bishop Eze, who gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Owerri said: “the Avengers are not fighting a just cause because their activities are affecting and threatening the peace of the nation. Nigerian oil is a natural gift from God and nobody has the right to destroy it.”

The Bishop who was reacting to the incessant attacks on oil pipelines by the new militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), said that if the Avengers were aggrieved over any issue, they should address it in a civil manner rather than threaten the country.

According to the general overseer, who is also a UN Peace Ambassador, the avengers are incurring the wrath of God by their activities, stressing that if the country must remain one, no group should threaten the peaceful existence of the nation in the name of militancy.

Bishop Eze blamed Niger Delta leaders for allowing the situation to get out of hand, adding: “the leaders in the Niger Delta region are to be blamed because they are the people that groomed the militants and they should call them to order.

“How can there be governors, senators, traditional rulers and other top government officials from the region; and yet they cannot caution their children from destroying government assets.” The clergyman encouraged the Federal Government to take a critical look into the issue and handle it with diplomacy. (NAN). [myad]