Abia State: Appeal Court sacks Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, declares APGA’s Alex Otti winner

Abia governor Okezie Ikpeazu of the PDP has been removed by the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri on Thursday and declared Alex Otti of the APGA the winner of the April 11 and April 25 supplementary elections in the state.

Delivering judgment in an appeal filed by Mr. Otti, the five-member panel, headed by Justice Oyebisi Omoleye, said the APGA candidate scored 164, 444 valid votes to defeat Mr. Ikpeazu who scored 114, 444 votes.

Justice Omoleye said the cancellation of the elections held in three LGAs of Obingwa, Osisioma Ngwa and Isiala Ngwa by the returning officers after the results were uploaded to INEC was wrong.

''In the Electoral Act, the Returning Officer has the right to only declare results of elections and not to cancel elections. This panel discovered that the earlier results uploaded to INEC headquarters correspond with the correct valid registered voters in the three LGAs, while that awarded to the respondent shows over voting and therefore null and void,'' he said.