Arrangements are in top gear to swear in Dr. Uche Ogah as the new Governor of Abia State, News Express has learnt.

“We are working toward that,” a competent source told News Express on Friday afternoon.

Dr. Ogah had been expected to be sworn-in yesterday after being issued a Certificate of Return earlier in the day by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This followed the ruling on Monday by a Federal High Court Abuja presided over by Justice Okon Abang removing Ikpeazu from office for giving false information in the form submitted to INEC by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nominating him as its candidate for the April 11, 2014 governorship election in the state.

In two separate judgments, Justice Abang ordered Ikpeazu to vacate the office of the governor of Abia State.

The judge also directed INEC to issue a fresh Certificate of Return to the plaintiff in one of the two suits, Uche Ogah, who was the first runner-up in the governorship primary conducted by the PDP on December 8, 2014.

He had ordered that Ogah’s full entitlements be restored to him as Governor of Abia State.

The judge made the orders after disqualifying Ikpeazu as the candidate of the PDP in the April 11, 2015, governorship election on the basis that he committed perjury by giving false information in the Form 8C001 and documents accompanying it, which he and the PDP submitted nominating him to INEC as the party’s governorship candidate.

Ikpeazu, however, has been fighting back. Apart from filing an appeal against the judgement on Wednesday, he yesterday secured an order by an Abia High Court presided over by Justice Ahuchaogu restraining the Chief Judge of Abia State, President of the Customary Court of Appeal and any other judiciary officer, from swearing-in Dr. Uche Ogah as governor.

It is not yet clear the exact day and time Ogah would be sworn-in and the venue.

•Photo shows Dr. Uche Ugah.

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