The supreme court has upheld the position of Okezie Ikpeazu as Abia state governor.
On June 27, Okon Abang, a judge of the federal high court, Abuja, ordered Ikpeazu’s removal on the allegation that he submitted false tax documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This followed a suit filed by Uche Ogah who placed second in the PDP governorship primary election Ikpeazu won.
Abang had directed INEC to issue Ogah with a certificate of return, but Ikpeazu filed an appeal against the judgment.
On August 8, the appeal court set aside the judgment of the lower court, and held that the judge ignored examining the tax documents which were tendered to his court as exhibits.
At the apex court on Friday, a five-man panel of judges led by Walter Onnoghen, chief of justice of Nigeria (CJN), faulted the lower court’s decision on the tax documents.
Onnoghen said Ikpeazu could not be held responsible for the discrepancies in his tax documents because there were given to him by the state.
The court then dismissed Ogah’ suit challenging the judgment of the appeal court which reversed the order of the high court sacking Ikpeazu