BREAKING: Court sacks Abia Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu
The Federal High
Court, sitting in Abuja, has annulled the election of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu
of Abia State, the News Agency of Nigeria is reporting.
The court also
ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue a certificate of
return to Samson Ogah, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, who contested
the governorship ticket with the governor.
The court held
that Mr. Ikpeazu was guilty of tax evasion and was therefore unqualified to
have contested the 2015 governorship election in the state.
The court also
ordered the governor to vacate office immediately, and hand over to Mr. Ogah,
owner of Masters Energy, who came second in the PDP governorship primaries in
Abia.
Mr. Ikpeazu is
yet to comment on the judgment.
Background
Two members of
the PDP had accused Mr. Ikpeazu of failing to pay personal income tax promptly
as and when due for 2010 and 2011 in line with Section 24(f) of the 1999
Constitution, which states that “It shall be the duty of every citizen to …
declare his income honestly to appropriate and lawful agencies and pay his tax
promptly.”
In suit no.
FHC/ABJ/ CS/1086/2014, dated December 22, 2014, and instituted at the Federal
High Court, Abuja, two individuals, Obasi Eke and Chukwuemeka Mba, had asked
the PDP and INEC to disqualify Mr. Ikpeazu from contesting the governorship
election.
The plaintiffs
contended that Mr. Ikpeazu was not fit and proper, having failed to pay his
personal income tax for two years in line with the demand of the Constitution
of Nigeria.
They further
asked the court for “A declaration that the 3rd defendant (Mr. Ikpeazu),
having failed and/or refused to pay his personal income tax promptly as and
when due for the years 2010 and 2011 in compliance with the mandatory
provisions of Section 24(f) of the CFRN, 1999, as amended, as well as Paragraph
13 of Part IV of the Electoral Guidelines for Primary Elections 2014, is not a
fit and proper person to contest the gubernatorial election of Abia State in
the 2015 general election, and is accordingly disqualified from contesting the
election.”
They also asked
for an order barring the PDP from presenting Mr Ikpeazu as candidate for
governor in the 2015 election.
Other reliefs
sought by the plaintiffs included an order barring INEC from accepting Mr.
Ikpeazu as Abia State PDP governorship candidate for the 2015 election.
They also
requested a consequential order that the candidate at the PDP primary election
of December 8, 2014, who polled the second highest number of votes cast at the
said election should be pronounced the rightful candidate of the party for the
governorship election in Abia State.
OJPals, what do you think? Tell us in the comments!
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