By Uche Mbah
Onyechi Ikpeazi, SAN, the lawyer who handled the case between the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governorship candidate, Ademola Adeleke, and the APC Candidate, Gboyega Oyetola, at the tribunal, is now in high demand among some political big wigs that need legal representations.
Ikpeazu led a team of lawyers to secure victory at the tribunal-a victory for Adeleke over the Osun governorship election case, which tribunal sat in Abuja for security reasons. It is also expected that he and his team will handle the appeal whenever and if ever Oyetola goes on appeal. PDP Osun chapter has told Oyetola to accept the verdict of the Tribunal and move on-an echo of the pressures being mounted on the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar to jettison his “mandate”.
One of those reaching out to him, the governorship Candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, in Ogun state, Adekunle Akinlade, has hired him for the case against the All Progressives congress, APC. Dapo Abiodun of the APC, who won the election, according to INEC, polled 241670 votes to defeat the nearest opponent, the Candidate of APM, who polled 22153 votes.
Ikpeazu lead other three senior Lawyers-Mamman Osuman, Sabestin T. Hon and Ahmed Raji-and 21 other lawyers to file a motion ex parte at the tribunal requesting for the tribunal to ask INEC to allow them inspect electoral materials used for the March 19 elections, which, according to him, is important in the prosecution of the case. He joined the APC candidate and his party as second and third respondents.
In the petition, he filled the application on 11 grounds, insisting that without formal order formal instruction from the Tribunal, INEC will not grant him access to the Materials.
The tribunal has reserved formal inauguration for Monday, April 1st.
Recall that Ikpeazu was the Lawyer that handled the case of Peter Obi versus Chris Ngige, where Obi won the case against the incumbent Ngige.
Meanwhile, the Presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, begins his legal onslaught today against President Buhari.
A five man panel headed by president of court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa is expected to chair the court of appeal.
