ABUJA HIGH COURT : TENSION SOAK AS JUSTICE ABANG WRITES RULING

"A decision must be taken on Abia state governorship, a Federal High Court in Abuja has said 

The Federal High Court in Abuja has said that it must take a decision on the matter brought before it by the embattled governor of Abia state, Okezie Ikpeazu.

Speaking in court, the judge over the matter, Okon Abang, said the court must take a decision on the Abia state governorship matter today, July 8.

Abang said his decision to make a ruling is because today is the last day of the week and that the judicial vacation starts on Monday, July 11.

He further asked that all parties concerned in the matter exercise patience with him while he writes the ruling.

“The law is settle on this issue. I must take a decisions today on the matter, please.

Just give me 45 minutes or more and I will be through, this is an open court,” Abang said.

Before Abang’s notice, the parties had argued on an application by the counsel to the governor elect Uche Ogah.

Alex Iziyon had made an application urging the court to discountence the application to set aside the stay of execution of court order made by Ikpeazu.

Contending the stay of execution, Iziyon said the application for the court to set aside its order so that the parties can face the matter at the Appeal Court is an abuse of court orders.

He said his application bordered on abuse of court process and court contempt and was routed from the Abia state High Court.

Federal High Court refuses to reverse Ikpeazu’s ruling He further said, the application is the only new dimension to the matter before the court.

Iziyon noted that the proceedings of the High Court should not be stopped following an application said filed at the Appeal Court by Ikpeazu.

He also prayed the court to consider his client’s application. The counsel urged the court to make its findings on the matter rather than order a stay of execution of its judgment.

“I will submit my lord that this issue is still life and your lordship has exclusive jurisdiction to deal with it,” Iziyon said.

But in his reply, counsel to the embattled governor, Wole Olanikpekun said the proceedings his colleague is asking the court to set aside is not before the High Court. “As for us on this side, my lord, we have not replied any application… but my lord, assuming for a second that there has been a formal application and that the court has adjourned for ruling, immediately an appeal has been entered, the court has no jurisdiction to deliver the ruling,” Olanikpekun said.

Abia state tax office insists Ikpeazu’s clearance was original He said the issue is no longer debatable. “I submit that this court has lost jurisdiction in its entirety, it is not a question of thinking and choosing,” he said.

He also informed the court that a motion has been filed at the Appeal Court and the respondents have also been served.

Olanikpekun said: “It is undue temptation for my respected and able and robust and articulate and formidable learned brother of the silk to make this application.” He said assuming the lower court decides to acknowledge Ogah’s application, it will amount to undermining the superiority of the Appeal Court. As at the time of filing this report, Justice Okon Abang is writing his ruling on the applications before the court.

©naij.com