Supreme Court upholds Emmanuel, Ikpeazu election

The Supreme Court on Wednesday affirmed the elections of Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State.

A seven-man bench, presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, unanimously affirmed the governors’ elections after upholding their separate appeals against the judgments of the Court of Appeal, which had ordered their removal from office.

The decisions of the Supreme Court put paid to the legal actions initiated against Emmanuel and Ikpeazu, who contested the elections on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party on April 11, 2015, by their arch rivals.

While Emmanuel’s election was challenged by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Okon Umana, that of Ikpeazu was challenged by All Progressive Grand Alliance’s candidate, Dr. Alex Otti.

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal had nullified the Akwa Ibom State governorship election in the entire 31 local government areas of the state on December 18, 2015, while the Owerri Division of the appeal court removed Ikpeazu and declared the APGA candidate, Otti, the winner of the election in Abia State on December 31, 2015.

The apex court delivered its judgments at about 9.50pm on Wednesday after marathon hearings which lasted for about 12 hours.

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