Ikpeazu, Ogah oppose Alex Otti’s bid to join gov tussle at Supreme Court

From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The battle for the soul of Abia State Government House shifted to the Supreme Court where the incumbent governor, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu and another governorship aspirant, Dr. Samson Okechukwu Ogah yesterday opposed the bid by Dr.Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to join the legal action.
Dr. Otti was the governorship candidate of APGA for Abia State in the 2014 governorship election now in dispute.
In opposing Otti’s application for joinder, the two politicians on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) informed the apex court that an attempt by the appellant/ applicant (Otti) to be included in the legal tussle would breach the law since he has no legal right for the request he was demanding before the apex court.
Counsel to  Governor Ikpeazu,  Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN objected to hearing of the appeal, by Otti on the ground that the Court of Appeal Abuja division had on August 18 shut out the applicant in a judgment.
Olanipekun told the court presided over by Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed that the Court of Appeal which, on August 18 rejected the joinder application, had given judgment in the substantive matter and that since Otti was not in the substantive matter, he has no right of appeal to be joined in the matter again.
The counsel argued that no order was made against him (Otti) and as such, has no business to seek to dabble into the matter.
Dr. Alex Iziyon SAN, who stood for Dr. Ogah also objected to the application of the appellant (Otti) to be joined in the matter.
Iziyon argued that the request for joinder by Otti had come to a final end in the Court of Appeal where he was disallowed from joining the substantive in the disputed qualification of Governor Ikpeazu.
Alex Otti, through his counsel, Chief Patrick Ikwueto SAN, had sought to move his motion for joinder for the APGA governorship candidate in the 2015 governorship election to be brought into the legal dispute.
After arguments from Olanipekun, Iziyon and Ikwueto, Justice Mohammed ordered the senior lawyers to file their briefs of arguments on their positions and make same available to the court within 14 days.
Justice Mohammed ruled that the court will fix a date for hearing of the matter as soon as the briefs of arguments are filed.‎
Meanwhile, the court has granted application by the chieftain and governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Samson, leave to amend his notice of appeal and to appeal on mixed law in his matter challenging the qualification of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State in the April 2015 governorship election.
The apex court granted the request filed by his lawyer, chief Alex Iziyon (SAN) in which he prayed the court to allow him amend his earlier notice of appeal and to predicate his appeal on mixed law.
Counsel to Ikpeazu, Chief Wole Olanikpekun (SAN) and other parties in the matter did not object to the application, prompting Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed, to grant his request.
Justice Tanko said with the granting of the leave to the appellant, a new date will be communicated to parties for hearing of the matter.
GOV. IKPEAZU/sd
Ikpeazu, Ogah oppose Alex Otti’s bid to join gov tussle at Supreme Court
From GODWIN TSA, Abuja
The battle for the soul of Abia State Government House shifted to the Supreme Court where the incumbent governor, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu and another governorship aspirant, Dr. Samson Okechukwu Ogah yesterday opposed the bid by Dr.Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to join the legal action.
Dr. Otti was the governorship candidate of APGA for Abia State in the 2014 governorship election now in dispute.
In opposing Otti’s application for joinder, the two politicians on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) informed the apex court that an attempt by the appellant/ applicant (Otti) to be included in the legal tussle would breach the law since he has no legal right for the request he was demanding before the apex court.
Counsel to  Governor Ikpeazu,  Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN objected to hearing of the appeal, by Otti on the ground that the Court of Appeal Abuja division had on August 18 shut out the applicant in a judgment.
Olanipekun told the court presided over by Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed that the Court of Appeal which, on August 18 rejected the joinder application, had given judgment in the substantive matter and that since Otti was not in the substantive matter, he has no right of appeal to be joined in the matter again.
The counsel argued that no order was made against him (Otti) and as such, has no business to seek to dabble into the matter.
Dr. Alex Iziyon SAN, who stood for Dr. Ogah also objected to the application of the appellant (Otti) to be joined in the matter.
Iziyon argued that the request for joinder by Otti had come to a final end in the Court of Appeal where he was disallowed from joining the substantive in the disputed qualification of Governor Ikpeazu.
Alex Otti, through his counsel, Chief Patrick Ikwueto SAN, had sought to move his motion for joinder for the APGA governorship candidate in the 2015 governorship election to be brought into the legal dispute.
After arguments from Olanipekun, Iziyon and Ikwueto, Justice Mohammed ordered the senior lawyers to file their briefs of arguments on their positions and make same available to the court within 14 days.
Justice Mohammed ruled that the court will fix a date for hearing of the matter as soon as the briefs of arguments are filed.‎
Meanwhile, the court has granted application by the chieftain and governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Samson, leave to amend his notice of appeal and to appeal on mixed law in his matter challenging the qualification of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State in the April 2015 governorship election.
The apex court granted the request filed by his lawyer, chief Alex Iziyon (SAN) in which he prayed the court to allow him amend his earlier notice of appeal and to predicate his appeal on mixed law.
Counsel to Ikpeazu, Chief Wole Olanikpekun (SAN) and other parties in the matter did not object to the application, prompting Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed, to grant his request.
Justice Tanko said with the granting of the leave to the appellant, a new date will be communicated to parties for hearing of the matter.