Law News
Abia PDP, APGA bicker over tribunal judgment

ABIA State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the main opposition All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) of recruiting the services of an unnamed South East Governor to influence the Judges of the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri to upturn the judgment of the Governorship Election Tribunal which gave judgment in favour Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

PDP alleged that already, APGA had held two meetings in Enugu and Owerri over the issue. According to the party, the alleged Enugu meeting was attended by an unnamed deputy governor while the Owerri meeting was attended by yet an unnamed Governor.

The party also accused APGA of deliberately misinforming and abusing the minds of the public in the State and Nigerians to the effect that the judges of the Abia State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal were compromised to arrive at the  judgment in favour of Governor Ikpeazu.

State Secretary of PDP,  Charles Esonu, yesterday issued a statement followed by a press briefing addressed by two other senior members of the party who are serving Commissioners, Gab Igboko and Hagler Okore, alleging that nocturnal meetings were held in Enugu and Owerri “towards the arrangement for the said Governor to possibly interface with the justices of the Court of Appeal to influence the outcome of the intending appeal by APGA.”

But in a swift reaction, APGA through its State Chairman, Rev. Augustine Ehiemere, dismissed the allegation as “baseless, mischievous and misleading”, saying that PDP was afraid because they “purchased their judgment at the tribunal.

“Why they are afraid is because they purchased their judgment and it is hunting them. What they are doing is diversionary. They should be ignored. I urge Abians to be patient because we are going to reclaim our mandate”, APGA chairman said.

PDP however said that the Governor of Abia State would stay focused towards the delivery of quality services to Nde-Abia and will not be “distracted by the disoriented action of frustrated individuals” in APGA.

It said that APGA failed woefully at the tribunal to prove any of the issues they formulated and “they were unable to convince the tribunal to declare them winners of the same election they had argued to have been marred by malpractices,   violence and non compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended)”

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