By Ugochukwu Alaribe

ABA—A socio political group, South East Progressives Assembly, SEPA, has faulted the judgment of the Appeal Court, Owerri, which sacked Governor Okezie Ikpeazu from office.

Addressing  newsmen in Aba, President of SEPA, Ebere Uzoukwa, described the judgment as a rape on democracy, which left more questions than answers on the April 11, governorship poll including the supplementary election held in April 25.

He said: “In our own estimation predicated on points of law, morality and common sense, a judgment that clearly de-franchised about 300,000 registered voters from Obingwa, Osisioma Ngwa and Isiala Ngwa North Local Governments  which are the strong hold of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Dr. Ikpeazu, can never survive the judicial scrutiny of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. There is no gainsaying that the said judgment in entirety is a rape on our nascent democracy.

“How did the Justices determine the substantial non-compliance in Ikpeazu’s home local government area, Obingwa, Osisioma Ngwa and Isiala Ngwa North as alleged by the appellant? How did they arrive at over-voting to cancel those legitimately collated and returned results from these councils?

“What did our law and Electoral Act stipulate in situations where over-voting is substantially proven? What informed the acceptability and invalidation of the evidence of the second appellant which finally formed the bedrock and figures upon which Dr. Alex Otti was declared winner of the governorship election by the Court of Appeal?

“We deem it expedient to unequivocally declare our stand on the recent ruling of the Court of Appeal which sat in Owerri, declaring Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, winner of the 2015 governorship election, nullifying the election of Ikpeazu of the PDP. It is clear that Otti was awarded the governorship without the mandate of the Abia State  electorate.

“For Abia people especially those eligible voters from the three councils,  who were massively de-franchised by the ruling of the Court of Appeal, we appeal for calm as the process of scrutinizing the judgment at the Supreme Court will soon commence.”