Gov Ikpeazu sacks several aides

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has sacked several of his political appointees in the state.

The Secretary to State Government (SSG), Chris Ezem, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

Mr Ezem, a lawyer, said those affected include: special assistants, senior special assistants, special advisers and technical advisers.

This implies that commissioners in the state were not affected.

“The governor further directs the state accountant general to ensure immediate payment of March 2023 stipends to all the appointees,” Mr Ezem said.

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The SSG said the governor has thanked the sacked appointees for their contributions and services to the state and also wished them well in their future endeavours.

The sack came days after Mr Ikpeazu’s anointed governorship candidate, Okey Ahiwe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost in the 18 March governorship election in the state to Alex Otti of the Labour Party (LP).

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Otti, the LP candidate, polled a total of 172,386 votes to defeat his closest rival and candidate of the PDP, Mr Ahiwe, who garnered a total of 88,174 votes.

Governor Ikpeazu also lost his senatorial bid in Abia South District to Enyinnaya Abaribe of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.

PDP is the ruling party in the state.

The sack of the political appointees also comes barely 24 hours after Mr Otti, the governor-elect, raised an alarm that the state government was engaging in late-hour employment racketeering in the state.

READ ALSO: Abia lawmakers deny plan to impeach Governor Ikpeazu

Mr Ikpeazu would later deny the allegation, pointing out that even if the allegation was true, his administration, “with executive powers to run the affairs of the state” has the power to hire employees of the government if it so desires.

Mr Otti is expected to be sworn in as the governor of the state on 29 May when the tenure of the incumbent governor, Mr Ikpeazu, would come to an end.