Abia State government has faulted the chief registrar of the Federal High Court over his position in respect of the interpretation of the two courts’ judgments in respect of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu tax matter.
Federal High Court Abuja, presided by Justice Okan Abang had on June 27, sacked Ikpeazu for not paying his tax as at when due and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue Certificate of Return to Dr. Uche Ogah, who came second in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election.
The following week, another Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, in a suit filed by Sir Friday Nwosu against Ikpeazu affirmed that Ikpeazu remains the governor, and dismissed the issue of tax forgery.
A press statement, entitled: “Needless explanation by the chief registrar of the Federal High Court on the two Federal High Courts judgments on the Abia governorship tax matter,” signed by Dominic Chimbua and Nwakodo Anayo, both Special Assistants, Legal to Ikpeazu, described as bizarre things that have been unfolding in relation to the tax clearance certificate submitted to the PDP by Ikpeazu in the course of the 2015 governorship election in the state.
The statement read in part: “The comedy of surprises from the Federal High Court, got to a crescendo a couple of days ago, when the chief registrar of the Federal High Court, issued a press statement, wherein he attempted albeit unsuccessfully to explain to the public the raison d’état of the two different judgments delivered by the Federal High Court, Owerri Division and the Federal High Court, Abuja Division on the Abia governorship certificate matter.
“Judgments of courts can only be interpreted by the court that delivered the said judgment on application by a party or a higher court sitting as an appellate court on the judgment.
The chief registrar of the Federal High Court is neither any of the judges that delivered the two judgments nor the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division or Court of Appeal Owerri Division, in whose domain these two judgments presently reside, the aggrieved parties having appealed these two court judgments.”
The statement noted that it was contemptuous of the Court of Appeal, for the chief registrar of the Federal High Court to comment on matters pending before the Court of Appeal in the manner he did in his press release.
The statement further stressed that the lame effort by the chief registrar of the Federal High Court to draw a distinction between the two judgments in issue is an exercise in futility to every discerning mind.
According to the statement, both court matters are predicated on the same set of facts and the reliefs  being sought  are the same (which is that of disqualifying Dr Ikpeazu) contrary to the attempt by the Chief Registrar to hoodwink and mislead  the public.
“ However, mention must be made that while parties are bound by these two judgments, the latter in time which in the instant case is the judgment of the Federal High Court Owerri takes precedence over the judgment of the Abuja Federal High Court,”  the statement stated

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