Ikpeazu and divine mandate

“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘my purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’- (Isaiah 46:10) .Turbulence defines the path of some characters God ordained to be leaders. King David and Joseph are classical examples.

The tragic fall of Saul fall from grace was necessitated by his failure to carry God’s command to destroy the Amalekites and all their possessions to the letter. Saul did not only disobey he and the people kept back the choicest assets to themselves. That was the final straw, Saul was rejected by God and Samuel was instructed to shop for a King. That began the story of David.

However, how was he going to cope when Saul who was still king?  No sooner had Samuel anointed David King than Saul called him to the royal court. As Saul’s hatred for David became more intense, Saul plotted to destroy him but his attempts failed. Because God was with David, He was always providing him with escape routes.

On few occasions, Saul had sought to pin David on the wall with his javelin while playing for him but God delivered David. He sent spies that they might take the life of David but the secret was revealed by his wife Michal. Jonathan, the son of Saul, also provided escape for David by revealing Saul’s evil intents.

The lesson to be drawn from the above narration is that nobody thwarts what God has ordained. David went on and became great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him. Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters and masons, they built David a house.  Therefore, David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel. (2 Samuel 5:10-12).

Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has witnessed several attempts to cut short his rule. On 31st December last year, the Court of Appeal, sitting in Owerri and headed by Justice Oyebisi Omoleye, had removed. Ikpeazu and declared Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance the winner of the April 11 and April 25 supplementary elections in the state.

The same judgment also disenfranchised over 300,000 voters from Obingwa, Osisioma and Ugwunagbo local government areas by nullifying elections in these areas. The “coup” could not stand as the Supreme later upturned the judgment. The Supreme Court ruled that Ikpeazu of the PDP won the lawfully cast votes in the April election.

Advancing reasons for the judgment, the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed held that the Appellate Court usurped the power of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). It also faulted the Lower Court’s reliance on card reader for its judgement.

The apex court also ruled that the card reader machine has no statutory backing in Nigeria’s law and should not be used to determine a winner in any election.

Recently, another rude shock was unleashed when Justice Okon Efreti Abang of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court delivered, what is seen as “a controversial judgement”which ordered that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu  vacate office on account of allegedly giving false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), nominating the governor as the party’s candidate in the April 11, 2015 governorship election. The plot was capped with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC issuing a Certificate of Return to Uche Ogah in defiance of a Notice of Appeal and a Stay of Execution order.

Like David, Ikpeazu has been surmounting all these obstacles and weathering these storms because God is with him. One of the inordinate ambitions to rule Abia at all cost suffered a huge hitch last week as a Federal Court sitting in Owerri, affirmed Ikpeazu’s mandate by dismissing forgery charges against him.

As Abians continue to commit Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to their daily prayers, let me offer this humble advice:”Good leaders strive to foster cooperation rather than envy”. Our Governor, i plead with you to remain focused in the face of these distractions!

Ukegbu, a communication strategist, writes from Umuahia, Abia State.