The National Judicial Council, NJC, has cleared Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja of wrongdoing in his judgment, which sacked Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu from office.
The NJC also cleared him in the judgment he delivered in favour of the factional leader of the of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Ali Modu Sheriff.
In separate letters to the petitioners, Oyedele M. Ibini, Charles Esonu, Emeka Eze and Henry Balogun, dated October 18, the council stated that no proof of misconduct was found against him in the judgments.
The document stated that Mr. Balogun of Henry Balogun and Company had petitioned the NJC, accusing Justice Abang of abuse of judicial powers.
He cited an alleged injustice to the PDP and Ikpeazu in the judgments he delivered in a suit between him and Dr. Samson Okechukwu Ogah.
The NJC added that it found no proof of misconduct against Abang and dismissed the petition for lacking in merit.
Also, in the petition written by the PDP Secretary in Ondo State, Ayodele Ibini, alleging misconduct against the judge in his ruling that recognised the Modu-Sheriff’s faction in Edo and Ondo states, the NJC dismissed the petition.
According to the council, no misconduct was established against the judge.
The NJC equally exonerated Justice Abang in the petition written by Charles Esonu of the PDP, which alleged that the court order sacking Ikpeazu from office as governor was reckless.
Esonu had also accused the court of withholding the legal files to stop the PDP from appealing against the judgment.
Also, the council dismissed the complaint by Eze of Emeka Eze and Associates that the judge erred in his issuance of an order to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to give a certificate of return immediately after the judgment was delivered.
