The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Uche Ogah, who declared himself governor of Abia state after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) issued him a certificate of return.
He was picked up at the premises of the magistrates’ court on Lagos Island in the early hours of Monday, for alleged fraud, but was later released a few hours later.
Ogah was the candidate who placed second at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Abia state governorship primary in 2015.
He had filed a suit at a federal high court sitting in Abuja to challenge the emergence of Okezie Ikpeazu, the incumbent governor.
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Ogah had argued that Ikpeazu was unqualified to hold an elective office because he evaded tax prior to his election.
Okon Abang, a judge, had ruled in his favour, ordering the removal of Ikpeazu for submitting false information to the PDP in the course of the party’s primary election.
It also ordered INEC to declare Ogah as the elected candidate, and the commission complied, but Ikpeazu refused to vacate office.
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The situation resulted into a constitutional logjam, but the appeal court set aside the judgment of Abang, calling it “a rape of democracy”.
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