Confusion in Abia state as two governor battle for one state

The centre has refused to hold in Abia state
regarding a false documentation scandal
which have given room for a battle over the
governorship seat.
This troubling issue takes the lead of virtually
every Nigerian daily for Friday, July 1.
The Vanguard and Daily Sun share a similar
headline on their front pages. “One state, 2
govs” their headlines read.
Constitutional chaos broke out in Abia State,
yesterday, after the Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC, issued a
certificate of return to Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, governorship claimant, Uchechukwu
Sampson Ogah.
The commission said its action was on the
basis of a court ruling, Monday, by an Abuja
Federal High Court which removed Dr. Okezie
Ikpeazu from office as governor of the state,
allegedly for failing to fulfil requirements
expected of a candidate for the governorship.
The INEC action immediately paralysed
activities in the Ikpeazu-controlled Government
House in Umuahia, setting anxiety among
officials and other stakeholders, Vanguard
reports.
READ ALSO: Tension in Abia: Nigeria is gone
forever – Ikpeazu, Nigerians react
Daily Sun reports that While Ogah arrived the
state from Abuja to a heroic reception
yesterday, Ikpeazu said he remained the
governor irrespective of whatever order was
issued by the Federal High Court and the
consequential actions of INEC, pending the full
exhaustion of all judicial avenues of seeking
redress.
According to him, “Abia State is a peaceful
State consisting of law-abiding citizens but their
patience should not be stretched and their
civility taken for granted. The citizens of Abia
State will resist any attempt to subvert their will
which they freely expressed at the polls and
which was affirmed by the Supreme Court.”
But addressing the crowd that received him as
he arrived the Sam Mbakwe International Airport
Owerri, Ogah promised that his government
would be fair to all and not be for a particular
local government or section of the state.
Ogah who was flanked by his wife, some
Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains and
supporters who defied the downpour to receive
him added: “I have been issued the certificate
of return by the National Chairman of INEC as
the lawfully and duly elected governor of the
state in the 2015 governorship polls in Abia
State. I want to assure the people of the state
that this is a new dawn of better future for all.
It’s a dawn of fresh air.”