Some Abia residents yesterday expressed fears that the political crisis engendered by a court ruling declaring Dr. Sampson Uche Ogah the authentic governor of the state could lead to a breakdown of law and order.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had on Monday ruled that Ogah be sworn in as governor in place of the incumbent Governor Okezie Ikpeazu because discrepancies in the latter’s tax papers rendered him ineligible to be governor.
The Abuja court’s ruling was followed by the issuance of a Certificate of Return to Ogah who had emerged the first runner-up in the governorship primaries from which Ikpeazu emerged as the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party.
But another court order obtained by the Ikpeazu faction of the PDP from the Osisioma High Court barred the state’s Chief Judge from swearing Ogah as the governor of the state.
Some residents of the state who spoke with our correspondent in Aba yesterday believed that the Osisioma High Court was right in its decision while others were of the view that the court was wrong to issue the order.
They were, however, unanimous in their fear that the state was heading towards anarchy except something urgent was done to arrest the situation.
The Abia State chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Rev. Augustine Ehiemere, said his party’s concern was that the power tussle should not be allowed to degenerate into a situation where miscreants would unleash terror on the “good and innocent people” of the state in the form of protests.
Describing the face-off as a family affair, Ehiemere called on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to handle it as such if it is really a family.
Ehiemere said: “Since Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and his legal team said they have appealed against the judgment, which is the right thing to do, it will be greatly unfair should his supporters resort to self help through violence, particularly as the ban on protests is still in force.
“We also call on all the gladiators to immediately cease all anti-democratic actions that are capable of plunging Abia State into a state of anarchy.”
APGA threatened that it would be compelled to approach the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the state to prevent complete breakdown of law and order if its advice was not heeded.
An Aba resident who gave his name as Slyvanus Okorie said: “This is a matter before the court and one should be careful when commenting becaause it is left for a higher court to look at the merit of the Osisioma court’s order and set it aside or uphold it.
“But be that as it may, I think that politicians in the state should be careful of their actions to avoid causing anarchy in the state. The right thing should be done.
“Our concern is for the court, especially a higher court, to tell us who the authentic governor of the state is.
“As it stands now, Ogah and Ikpeazu in their rights are governors of the state.
“As we speak, Ikpeazu is still in Government House in Umuahia where I learnt he addressed your colleagues (journalists) earlier today (yesterday).”
A legal practitioner based in Aba, Olusegun Bamgbose, who is also the Executive Director of Coalition of Lawyers Against Corruption in Nigeria (COLACN), said: “Legally, my reaction is that it is a state of political confusion. But I believe if we look at the legal implication, we will be able to find a solution to the pressing problem because the two different individuals are laying claims to the governorship of Abia State.
“Okezie Ikpeazu and Uche Ogah are both laying claims, and this has created a sort of vacuum in government because we don’t know who to address now as the executive governor of Abia State.
“Citizens and even people outside the state are confused. I am sure that the President too is concerned about the development in Abia State. That is quite unfortunate.
“On the legal aspect of it, once an order is made, it must be obeyed except it is set aside by a higher court. In this case, there is an order in place and that order stands till a higher order sets it aside.
“So, for now, it is the order, which must be obeyed. But if we now look at whether it is obtainable in law, I believe as a lawyer that the order should have come from the Court of Appeal, because if you file an appeal against something that court carries strain.
“I think that should be the proper procedure but as it stands now the order of the court still stands.
“The implication is that it might cause some serious problems in terms of security in the state. If not for the public holiday declared by the state on Friday and Monday, including the one declared by the federal government, we should have been able to get a better picture as from Monday and Tuesday.
“But as it stands now, we have to wait till Thursday and Friday before we can look at what the court will do. I am sure that both parties will be working seriously against next week Thursday.”
Our correspondent reports that Ogah’s supporters waited endlessly at the state capital yesterday, following rumours that he (Ogah) would be sworn into office yesterday.
Ogah, in an interview with journalists after his chartered flight touched down Sam Mbakwe Airport in Imo State, assured that he would be sworn in as the governor of the state between Thursday night and Friday morning.
Security in the state has been beefed up by the various security agencies in the state to forestall any breakdown of law and order by any group of persons or individuals.