Abia State Governor Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has urged the people of the state to remain calm despite the Certificate of Return issued to Dr. Samson Ogah by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Justice Abang of Federal High Court Abuja had earlier in the week ruled that Ikpeazu was not qualified to run for the office based on his alleged faulty tax returns and ordered that he should yield the office to is fellow contestant to the government ticket under the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Dr. Ogar.
Ikpeazu in a statement he personally signed on Thursday, urged the people of the State to remain calm.
He said, “I have received with concern, report of the purported issuance of Certificate of Return to Mr. Uche Ogah by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as governor of Abia State, despite dependency of a notice of appeal and motion for stay of the orders made by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
“Our laws are clear on this matter. No one may be issued with a certificate of return let alone be sworn in as governor, when there is a subsisting appeal and application for stay.
“I want to appeal to Abians to remain calm and law abiding in the face of this provocation, unless and until the appellant courts have conclusively resolved the appeal, the status remains, I am still the Governor of Abia State.”
