You Should’ve Acted Like ‘Pontius Pilate’ When Approached With Ikpeazu’s Case, Lawyer Blasts Justice Abang

[caption id="attachment_11030" align="alignnone" width="600"]Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia State Governor[/caption]

A Human Rights activist and Constitutional Lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, has justified the ruling of the Appeal Court in Abuja which dismissed the judgments of the Federal High Court in Abuja removing governor Okezie Ikpeazu from office.

Recall that Justice Okon Abang, on June 27, sacked Ikpeazu as governor over tax evasion amongst other offences.

Ozekhome, who said that Justice Abang dislodged logic and law in his judgement, added that it was evident that the judge placed the law on its head and he somersaulted.

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According to him, Justice Abang should have simply washed his hands off the case when it was brought before him.

He stated: “Ordinary people on the street have been accosting me and asking why do Justices behave like that and I said I do not know. The truth is that the entire judgement on the Abia case was wrong. It dislodged logic and law.

“The judgment did not take cognisance of the fact that every affidavit says I swear as follows and you end it by saying I swear to this affidavit conspicously and faithfully which means everything you swear is true and correct.

“Even if a fake or incorrect tax clearance had been given to the taxpayer and you attach it to your form CS001 which is the form you fill for governorship, how does that concern you and how do you question the tax office over the documents they gave?

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“How do you say because the tax clearance was issued on a Saturday, it means that is was fake.

“How does Justice Abang say Saturday is a public holiday when the public holiday act in Nigeria specified that public holidays are on Christmas day, New year day, Independence day and May day, otherwise all other days are working days and which is why tribunals sit on Saturdays and elections are also conducted on Saturdays and Sundays,” he stressed.

He further said: “What Justice Abang should have done when they brought the case before him was to wash his hands off the case like Pontius Pilate. In all ramifications, every section of that judgement was a great disservice to law.”

“I am happy the Court of Appeal has set it aside and I expect the Supreme Court to do same”.

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