Obasanjo Takes Delivery of Made-In-Aba Shoes As Ordered - See Photos

The Abia state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, personally delivered the shoes to Obasanjo at his home in Ogun state yesterday. 

The former President was at a function in Lagos some weeks back and ordered some Made in Aba shoes. 

Obasanjo made the order through the Chief Marketing Officer of Made-in-Aba Product, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu during the 2016 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Forum in Lagos.

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While making his speech at the event, the Abia State Governor stated that Aba remains the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) capital of Nigeria, where young Nigerians were engaged in the business of making of shoes, clothing and other products.

Abia State Governorship Logjam: More Confusion Strives Over New Appeal Court Judgement

Controversy and confusion have continued to trail the Appeal Court judgment on the Abia State governorship crisis.

The appellate court ruled that the parties, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and Dr Uche Ogah should maintain the status quo pending the determination of the earlier suit challenging Ikpeazu’s removal from office.

Some lawyers have argued that the judgment by the appellate court sitting in Abuja had created more confusion since no stay-of-execution order was issued, even as Ogah has his Certificate of Return as issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which impliedly supersedes the one earlier issued to Ikpeazu.

The lawyers submitted that Ogah could still go ahead to enforce the Abuja High Court judgment as the appellate court has expressly stated that the lower court’s order had not been vacated.

But Kevin Godwin Abonyi of Oseloka Osigwe Chambers, Nnewi, Anambra State, said what was important to determine was the prayer of the appellant.

He, however, said based on media report concerning the Appeal Court judgment on the matter, Ikpeazu should remain the governor of Abia State.

“What I infer from this judgment is that the parties should maintain the status quo. It means every action should be on hold including the swearing in of Uche Ogah. It does not matter whether the panel of judges expressly stated this or not.

“Ogah should not go ahead to fight for his swearing in even though the Federal High Court, Abuja order still subsists,” Abonyi submitted.

Lawyers against the judgment, however, maintained that Ikpeazu was governing Abia State without a valid Certificate of Return and insisted that Ogah must be sworn in since there was no stay of execution order issued by the appellate court.

A five-member panel of judges, led by Morenike Ogunwumiju, said the parties in the matter must “remain as they were” before the case got to the court.

She said the ruling did not mean a stay-of-execution order.

A Federal High Court had on June 27 nullified Mr. Ikpeazu’s election after finding him guilty of tax offences. The court, presided by Okon Abang ordered INEC to issue Samson Ogah a certificate of return.

On Tuesday, counsel to Mr. Ogah argued that Mr. Ikpeazu was not legally occupying the Abia State house. He said there were conflicting judgments on the matter. But the judge, Mrs. Ogunwumiju, said the court considered it important to avoid a misinterpretation of its ruling.

She said the decision of the court that parties to “remain as they were” should not be misconstrued as meaning that the appellate court had issued a stay-of-execution order.

Daily Sun 

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Abia: Uncertainty As Abuja Court Shuns Ikpeazu's Application

The uncertainty of Abia State gubernatorial judicial hullabaloo continues as Abuja Federal High Court on Friday refused to hear the application for stay of execution brought before it by the embattled Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu.

Justice Okon Abang referred both Ikpeazu and his challenger in the 2014 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, primaries, Dr. Uche Ogah to Court of Appeal for resolution, Daily Post says

Recall that the Justice Abang-led court had recently sacked Ikpeazu as governor of the state over tax evasion.

The judge had also ordered the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, to issue Ogah with certificate of return which was done.

Following the court’s ruling, Ikpeazu filed for stay of execution seeking the court to set aside its earlier decision.

Ruling on the suit was initially fixed for Thursday 4th July, 2016 by the court but the public holiday stalled the matter from holding which was deferred till today.

Meanwhile, The embattled Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has secured a fresh motion for extension of an order restraining the Chief Judge of Abia State, the President Abia State Customary Court of Appeal and any other judicial officer from swearing in Mr. Uche Ogah, as governor of the state.

The court granted his prayers to extends the swearing in to 18th July, 2016.

Abia State Guber Brouhaha Update: This's What The Court Ruled Today

The embattled Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu has secured a fresh motion for extension of an order restraining the Chief Judge of Abia State, the President Abia State Customary Court of Appeal and any other judicial officer from swearing in Mr. Uche Ogah, as governor of the state.

The court granted his prayers to extends the swearing in to 18th July, 2016.

Details later

Abia State Conundrum: The Limit of Executive Arrogance, By Barr. Ibrahim Lawal.

It is no longer news that the political situation in Abia State had thrown up two governors. One is the defacto, the other dejure. It is also note worthy that both sides of the divides had thrown up issues albeit from the sublime to the extreme to justify their rights to the leadership of the state .

The crisis of confidence arose from the challenge by Mr. Uche Ogar of the eligibility of Governor Ikpeazu to stand as the Candidate of the PDP. His main grouse is that Ikpeazu by virtue of INEC declaration is not qualified to contest because of his failure to pay his tax as at when due. Ogar's contention was that the three years tax certificate provided by Ikpeazu was issued in a day. The matter was fought from the Federal High Court up to the Supreme Court.

I was present at the Supreme Court when this suit was eventually decided. Dr. Alex Iziyon SAN appeared for Ogar while Mr. Oladipo Olasope and myself appeared for INEC. The Supreme Court while upholding Ogar's appeal lampooned INEC as the real harbinger of the needless trouble as they should have exercise their power by doing the needful. In the word of the Supreme Court, it is unfathomable to discover that a candidate who wants to be a governor could not pay his tax as and when due. The Supreme Court agreed with the learned SAN contention that from the exhibit before them, it was clear that the three years tax certificate was procured in one day. What is more, the serial number of the certificates followed one another. The Supreme Court therefore, returned the suit back to the trial court for retrial.

One would have expected Governor Ikpeazu to have sought for political solution to the issue having read the body language of the apex court. Governor Ikpeazu should have sit down with Ogar for some sort of political solution by way of agreement and compromises. The Governor should have come down from his high horse to ensure that Ogar withdraw the case from the court.

I also learnt that in an attempt to frustrate the effort of Ogar to reap the fruit of his labour, the Abia State PDP had expelled him from the party. This to my mind is a sheer waste of time as the PDP had traversed the wrong road in 2007 when Ifeanyi Ararume was treated in the same way and the court nullified his expulsion in Ararume v. INEC &2 Ors (2007) 9NWLR (Pt. 1038) pg. 1277.

It is also laughable reading some publications laying Abia crisis at the door step of the APC. It is a lazy attempt to explain a failure by the PDP to arrest the ugly situation when occasion demands.

The resort to declaration of two day public holiday, black market injunction and filing of stay of execition of judgment is a mere postponement of the dooms day. The reality is that Governor Ikpeazu actually shot himself in the leg by his failure to act when it is necessary.

This is a lesson for those who think power is everything, a stitch in time they say saves nine.

Ibrahim Lawal is a legal practitioner based in Ibadan.

ABIA Conundrum: Court Refuses To Oblige Ikpeazu's Prayer, State To Remain Without Governor For 7 More Days

Premium Times - The political confusion over who is the rightful governor of the South-east state of Abia will endure at least until Thursday, when the Federal High Court, Abuja, will give its ruling on the stay-of-execution order filed by embattled Okezie Ikpeazu.

The court on Monday fixed July 7 to rule on the application filed by Mr. Ikpeazu, whose election was annulled and certificate of return withdrawn.

Mr. Ikpeazu filed the stay-of-execution application days after the court sacked him from office for failing to pay his personal income tax as at when due.

Hearing the application on Monday, Justice Okong Abang declined to set aside his judgment, saying he would hear other applications on the matter on Thursday.

The counsel to Mr. Ikpeazu, Wole Olanikpekun, had asked the court to set aside the earlier order for a certificate of return to be given to Mr. Ogah.

But counsel to Mr. Ogah, Alex Izinyon, filed a counter-affidavit against Mr. Ikpeazu’s application for stay of execution.

Mr. Olanipekun then asked for time to look into the details of Mr. Izinyon’s argument in the counter-affidavit.

He also prayed the court to treat the matter without delay.

Justice Abang then fixed the next working day, July 7, to hear the application and other applications in the matter.

The Federal Government has fixed Tuesday July 5 and Wednesday July 6 as public holidays so Nigerian muslims can join their counterparts around the world for end-of-Ramadan festivities. July 7 is the next working day in the country.

Justice Abang had on June 27 sacked Mr. Ikpeazu as governor after the court found him guilty by of tax evasion.

Mr. Abang had, in that judgment, directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue certificate of return to Mr. Ogah who came second in the primaries conducted by the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.

In a swift reaction to the judgment, Mr. Ikpeazu filed an appeal before the Appeal Court in Abuja. He also filed a motion for stay of execution of the judgment at the Federal High Court.

However in compliance with the court order, INEC issued Mr. Ogah a certificate of return on June 30, and he (Mr. Ogah) immediately headed to Abia to be sworn in as governor.

But an Abia State High Court hurriedly issued an injunction stopping the state’s chief judge or any other judicial official in the state from administering the oath of office on Mr. Ogah, pending the determination of the motion on notice at the Court of Appeal.

“Upon this motion ex-parte pursuant to section 143 (1) & (2) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and pending the determination of the motion on notice, after hearing O.O Nkume, counsel to the applicant,” Justice Chibuzo Ahuchaogu said.

“It is ordered that an order of injunction is hereby made restraining the 2nd defendant (INEC) from issuing a certificate of return to the 1st defendant (Ogah) while the claimant (Ikpeazu) remains in office in accordance with section 143 (1) & (2) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and pending the determination of the motion on notice.

“It is further ordered that the 3rd defendant (chief judge of Abia State) or any other judge of the court or any judiciary officer are hereby restricted from swearing-in the 1st defendant (Ogah) while the claimant (Ikpeazu) remains in office in accordance with section 143 (1) & (2) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and pending the determination of the motion on notice.”

The state has, consequently, remained without a clear leadership since Thursday.

BREAKING: AGF Breaks Silence On Abia State Guber Conundrum; Gives Fresh Order, Distance Self

Angered at rumours making the round that he is behind the legal logjam at the Abia State of the governorship seat, the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami has ordered both parties involved to awaits the decision of the court.

Mr. Malami through in a statement issues and signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. COMRADE SALIHU OTHMAN ISAH, express his dissatisfaction for dragging him to the Abia State conundrum.

 He particular accused some session of the media for supporting and helping peddle what he described as " the insinuations and crass lies".

He statement read:

"The attention of the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has been drawn to the insinuations and crass lies being peddled and disseminated by a cross-section of Nigerians and the various media platforms that the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation is behind the legal logjam over the Abia state governorship seat and wish to clarify that those canvassing this position have no basis to do so."

"Of particular concern are those who have peddled ill-natured rumours with a view to misinform our discerning populace that the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and by extension, the Federal Government of Nigeria that gave directives to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue Certificate of Return to Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah declaring him Governor-Elect. He has definitely not taken any action either by spoken words or body language as far as this Abia governorship crisis is concerned."

"I wish to therefore, on behalf of my principal declare that these rumours are untrue and a figment of the imagination of those pushing these selfish, shameless and irredeemable lies into public space which only translates to partisanship on the side of its purveyors."

"As far as the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation is concerned, the constitutional powers for the legal opinion of his office have not been invoked on this issue. So far, nobody has approached him to proffer any legal opinion to it. As a strong believer in the rule of law, it is his belief that the law should naturally take its cause. The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation will not be dragged into this controversy and mind-games being played out by the various legal minds and spin doctors of both camps at this point." 

"The parties involved should await the decision of the courts." 

"In fact, we wish to by this statement advice those in the habit of dragging the highly esteemed Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice into knotty issue of this kind even when it is yet to take a position. They should desist from these unwarranted presumptions henceforth." 

Mr. Ogah had challenged the emergence of the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, as the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party’s ticket in the gubernatorial primaries held in December 2014.

Mr. Ogah said Mr. Ikpeazu had defaulted on his taxes, adding that he submitted fraudulent tax documents to qualify as a candidate in the primaries.

In a verdict delivered by Abang Okon, the FHC in Abuja found Mr. Ikpeazu guilty of the charges and ordered INEC to issue a certificate of return to Mr. Ogah to pave way for his swearing-in.

Mr. Ikpeazu appealed the judgment and notified INEC of the development.

But the electoral umpire went ahead to execute the order of the court, saying it never received any notice of appeal from Mr. Ikpeazu.

Soon as he was in receipt of his certificate of return, Mr. Ogah embarked on a journey to Umuahia, the state capital, to prepare grounds for his swearing-in on Friday.

But while on his way, Mr. Ogah received notifications that Mr. Ikpeazu had secured an injunction from an Abia State high court stopping the Chief Judge of the State, the President of the Customary Court of Appeal and any other judicial officer from swearing in Mr. Ogah as governor.

Mr. Ikpeazu also declared a public holiday for Friday and Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday had already been declared public holidays by the federal government.

Mr. Ogah’s efforts to get sworn-in as governor on Friday morning was thwarted by the absence of the state’s Chief Judge, Theresa Uzoukwu.

Also on Friday morning, INEC finally acknowleged it is in possession of a notice of appeal from Mr. Ikpeazu, but said it did not include a notice of stay-of-execution order from the court.

The uncertainties prompted the police to intensify security activities across the state, its spokesperson said.

Don Awunah, the newly-appointed Force Public Relations Officer, said the police were on the ground to ensure that a peaceful atmosphere is maintained.

Updates on Abia State Governorship Judicial Abracadabra

The judicial abracadabra beclouding the Abia State governorship seat seem to  have had no head as at press time.

The Nigeria Police Force on Friday said it was monitoring events in Abia State, where a political leadership crisis in unfolding, threatening the peace of the state.

The assurance came amid concerns of a potential breakdown of law and order that may arise as a result of INEC’s decision to issue the certificate of return to oil and gas executive, Sampson Ogah, in compliance with a Federal High Court ruling on Monday.

Mr. Ogah had challenged the emergence of the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, as the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party’s ticket in the gubernatorial primaries held in December 2014.

Mr. Ogah said Mr. Ikpeazu had defaulted on his taxes, adding that he submitted fraudulent tax documents to qualify as a candidate in the primaries.

In a verdict delivered by Abang Okon, the FHC in Abuja found Mr. Ikpeazu guilty of the charges and ordered INEC to issue a certificate of return to Mr. Ogah to pave way for his swearing-in.

Mr. Ikpeazu appealed the judgment and notified INEC of the development.

But the electoral umpire went ahead to execute the order of the court, saying it never received any notice of appeal from Mr. Ikpeazu.

Soon as he was in receipt of his certificate of return, Mr. Ogah embarked on a journey to Umuahia, the state capital, to prepare grounds for his swearing-in on Friday.

But while on his way, Mr. Ogah received notifications that Mr. Ikpeazu had secured an injunction from an Abia State high court stopping the Chief Judge of the State, the President of the Customary Court of Appeal and any other judicial officer from swearing in Mr. Ogah as governor.

Mr. Ikpeazu also declared a public holiday for Friday and Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday had already been declared public holidays by the federal government.

Mr. Ogah’s efforts to get sworn-in as governor on Friday morning was thwarted by the absence of the state’s Chief Judge, Theresa Uzoukwu.

Also on Friday morning, INEC finally acknowleged it is in possession of a notice of appeal from Mr. Ikpeazu, but said it did not include a notice of stay-of-execution order from the court.

The uncertainties prompted the police to intensify security activities across the state, its spokesperson said.

Don Awunah, the newly-appointed Force Public Relations Officer, said the police were on the ground to ensure that a peaceful atmosphere is maintained.