Activities in Aba, the commercial nerve center of Abia state had been crippled following a peaceful protest by the Ukwa/Ngwa people of the state, over the Court of Appeal ruling that cancelled the governorship fault from three local government areas of Ukwa/Ngwa extraction in the state.
The affected LGAs are: Obingwa, which is the local government of the governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, Osisioma and Isialangwa North respectively.
Protesting the appellant court ruling that disenfranchised Ikpeazu and people of the three local government areas, the former Senate President, Senator Adoph Wagbara, who led a section of the protesters on the Ariaria section of the Enugu-Aba-Port-Harcourt highway, said that the ruling is unacceptable to them.
He said that their votes must count, while appealing to the people to remain peaceful and law-abiding even as they continue with the protest.
His words: “We are on the street to register our displeasure over the court of appeal ruling. All we are saying that our votes should and must be allowed to count. We must be part of the decision of who governs us. And we did when we voted overwhelmingly for our son Dr Ikpeazu as our governor. This attempt to rob us our hard earned mandate which we have to Governor through the court of appeal is unacceptable to us. While the ruling will challenged, we shall remains on the streets.”
It will be recalled that the Governor of the state, Dr Ikpeazu has also called on the people be clam, insisting he will challenge the ruling of the court of appeal at the Supreme Court.
While, Wagbara is leading other protesters along the Ariaria section of the Highway, Dr Godson Amuta is leading another section of protesters at Umuikea junction on the same highway.
The chairman of Isialangwa North is also leading another section of the protest at Ntigha junction on the same highway.
A more formidable protesters led by the commissioner for works, Eziuche Ubani have peacefully locked down inside Aba.
