Ogah accepts court verdict, congratulates Abia State governor

Former Abia State governorship aspirant,

Ogah has accepted defeat 24 hours after Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen led five-man bench unanimously affirmed Ikpeazu’s election and dismissing his appeal for lacking in substance.

In a statement released by Ogah's aides on Saturday, May 13, 2017, the ex-governorship aspirant said he had accepted the verdict and urged all the people of the state to support Ikpeazu as governor of the state.

“On the 12th of May 2017, the Supreme Court of Nigeria gave their final verdict over my case with Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, the governor of Abia State. Even though a painful verdict, but as someone that believes in the rule of law and the judiciary, I have accepted the decision of the apex court in good faith," the statement began.

Continuing, Ogah said: “As the legal battle comes to an end with the Supreme Court’s declaration, I’m exceedingly happy today that in the course of this struggle, I never resorted to self-help nor encouraged my supporters to indulge in any form of violence either in my State or elsewhere.

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“May I especially thank my teeming supporters for standing by me all through this journey and may I also use this golden opportunity to congratulate His Excellency, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, governor of Abia State and urge all Abians to join hands in supporting the Governor in order to move our dear state forward.”

Ogah had earlier won his case against Gov Ikpeazu at the Federal High Court, Abuja, but lost at the Court of Appeal and was also dismissed by the Supreme court on Friday, May 12, 2017.