The governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, has said he will appeal the court judgment that ordered his removal from office and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to cede the certificate of return to his opponent in the Primary Election, Uche Ogah.

In an interview, Enyinnaya Appolos, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, explained that the Governor has always been a government official and his tax has always been deducted from the source.

Appolos said there is no need for the citizens of Abia State to panic as Ikpeazu remains Governor until the outcome of the appeal.

Justice Okon Abang of the federal high court Abuja on Thursday ordered INEC to cede the certificate of return issued to Ikpeazu to Uche Ogah, his opponent in the primary election, and ordered the Abia State Chief Judge to swear in Ogah as the substantive governor of the state.

In his ruling, Justice Abang said Ikpeazu was not qualified for the PDP primaries in the first place, having tendered fake tax clearance papers during the screening.

INEC had in April 2015, declared Ikpeazu winner of the Abia State governorship election having polled 264,713 votes to defeat Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, who polled 180,882 votes.