Supreme Court upholds Ikpeazu’s election

The Supreme Court has upheld the election of governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State. The court in a unanimous judgment by a five-member panel, held that the appeals by Sampson Ogah and Friday Nwosu were unmaritorious.

Justice Ejembi Eko, who read the lead judgment by Justice Musa Datijo Mohammed, awarded N250,000 cost against the appellants and in favour of Ikpeazu and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

 The Supreme Court held that the appellants did not prove their cases at the trial court. In his supporting judgment, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, who lead the panel, expressed displeasure about the desperation on the part of politicians to always win.

 He said there was security breach in this case, as some parties in the appeals tried to influence court’s officials to know what the court’s decision would be and who was writing the judgment. “Must you know what our judgment will be and who is writing it? You politicians are our problem.

You should leave us alone. Leave the Judiciary alone. If you are foolish enough to bribe a judge, you should learn to leave with the decision of the court,” the CJN said.