Speculations Taints Supreme Court Affirmation Of Abia, Akwa Ibom Polls

Speculations have trailed Supreme Court’s Wednesday affirmation of Abia and Akwa Ibom states election of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and Emmanuel Udom. Although the justices have given different dates to explain the motif for their verdicts, many watchers believed preservation of peace, rather than the elections being incongruous with the Electoral Act, in the politically fluid states inspired their decisions. In Ikpeazu’s case, the justices nullified an earlier Appeal Court verdict that sacked him, to favour All Progressives Grand Alliance candidate Alex Otti, from office. The court, which fixed 26 February, believed the Abia governor won the highest number of lawful votes in the April 11, 2015 election. Similarly, the court affirmed that Akwa Ibom’s Udom won the lawful votes cast in his election and fixed 15 February.