The Eastern Unity Forum (EUF) has demanded the immediate enforcement of<\/p>\n
the order of an Abuja Federal High Court that removed Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu
\nfrom the office as governor of Abia State, urging the Attorney General of
\nthe Federation, Inspector General of police, the Director of the
\nDepartment of state Services and other security agencies to enforce the
\ncourt order without further delay and avoid brewing anarchy in the state.<\/p>\n
It described the judgment obtained by Ikpeazu as judicial coup, occasioned
\nby impunity which must not be allowed to stand.<\/p>\n
The group at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday by its National
\nPresident, Chief (Dr) Emmanuel Okereke (OON) and the National Secretary,
\nChief Willy Ezugwu also vowed to mobilize the people to enforce the court
\njudgment if the security agencies failed to do their job.<\/p>\n
The text of the briefing reads in full: \u201cwe have watched with dismay the
\ncurrent development in Abia State, and wish to add our voice and state in
\nclear terms that we are disappointed with the delay in swearing in Dr
\nUchechukwu Sampson Ogah as the Governor of Abia State as directed by Abuja
\nFederal High Court.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is very clear, even to a lay man that Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu is no longer
\nthe Governor of Abia State as his Certificate of Return has been withdrawn
\nby the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and a Certificate
\nof Return issued to the Governor-elect, Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah (OON).<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd going by common sense analogy, there can\u2019t be two valid Certificates
\nof Return for one Governorship position for Abia State\u201d, the Forum said.<\/p>\n
The body noted that \u201cIn the eyes of the Law, Notice of Appeal does not
\nconstitute a stay of execution of the order of the court. So, in our mind,
\nINEC has not broken any law by issuing the certificate of return to Ogah.
\nAnd by the judgment of an Abuja Federal High Court presided over by
\nJustice Okon Abang, Uchechukwu Ogah became the instant governor of Abia
\nState until that order is set aside by a higher court\u201d.<\/p>\n
Describing the court verdict obtained by the embattled Abia State governor
\nfrom the State High Court as a judicial coup, the group said, \u201cSo, for
\nMr. Okezie Ikpeazu to rush to another court of coordinate jurisdiction to
\narrest the unambiguous judgment delivered by Justice Okon Abang on Monday,
\nJune 27, 2016 which ordered that Ogah be sworn in immediately is nothing
\nbut a delay tactics and judicial coup that must not be allowed to stand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe therefore call on the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the
\nInspector General of Police (IGP), the Director of Department of State
\nServices (DSS) and all other security agencies and law enforcement organs
\nof the Federal government to wake up and be alive to their constitutional
\nduties and ensure that Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah is sworn in as Abia
\nState governor without further delay. Anything to the contrary will be
\ninstitutionalizing impunity in South East of Nigeria.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the group, If the security agencies fail to do the needful,
\nthe people will be mobilized to enforce the order of the Abuja Federal
\nHigh Court.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you have been following political events in the South East, the zone
\nis the only part of the country that has remained shortchanged for too
\nlong. A case in point before this rape of due process in Abia State is the
\nlack of representation in the Senate from Imo North Senatorial District
\n(Okigwe Zone) due to the lingering inconclusiveness of the re-run
\nelection. The same is the case in Anambra Central Senatorial District
\nwhere the court has ordered for rerun election which has not been
\nconducted several months after the order was given. Now it is the turn of
\nAbia for impunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis must not continue. If the agencies of the Federal Government saddled
\nwith the responsibility of enforcing the order of the court fail to do
\ntheir job, our members across the South East region shall be mobilized to
\nswear in Dr. Uche Ogah.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo continue to shortchange the South East is a clear call for anarchy in
\nthe region. Enough is Enough\u201d, the Forum declared.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Eastern Unity Forum (EUF) has demanded the immediate enforcement of the order of an Abuja Federal High Court that removed Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu from the office as governor of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50911,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n