* Ikpeazu                                                                                                                   * Otti 
by Vivian OKEJEME, Abuja

As Abians await the ruling of the Abia Governorship Election Petition Tribunal  there is disquiet in the State as allegations spread over moves to compromise members of the Tribunal

 Analysing the on-goings at the Tribunal, a stalwart of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma maintained that only judgement based on  fairness, truth an justice would satisfy Abians

 "There are reasons to believe that the Abia Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal may be  compromised." he argued
Ekeoma told Theledgerng that  the party have it on good authority that  the ruling of the Tribunal is being  teleguided going by  the boasts of a clique he described as 'Abia Political Buccanneers' that the 'learned judges would be compromised by every means possible to deliver judgement favourable  to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

 He alleged that a special committee comprising a former governor of the State, a serving Senator, a legal practitioner, a high ranking member of the PDP's National Working Committee, NWC, a controversial politician/busninessman from the South-East and several others has since been set up to execute the job.

 Pressed to defend his allegations, Ekeoma proffered that so far they have stumbled on information that on a certain day,  a 'heavily' protected bullion van loaded with Ghana Must Go bags stuffed with money was delivered to Hotel Damgrete, Umuahia.

 "Hotel Damgrete is very close to Government House, Umuahia and it belongs to a high ranking PDP member and incidentally that is where the judges are lodged" he argued. He added that from their intelligence every possible means is being  sought within and outside the Country to compromise the judges

 The politician maintained that per chance the judges allowed themselves to be cheaply bought over, and they deliver  judgement devoid of fairness, truth and justice be delivered, Abians would suffer the consequences.

 "Any judgement devoid of truth  implies that Abia would continue to be held hostage by some cruel characters  and enemies of democracy who would rather spend billions manipulating election results rather than using  such to work for the suffering masses.

 Ekeoma warned these class of politicians who he described as rapists of democracy and good governnance that a new era has dawned, and referred them to the late American civil rights, Martin Luther King Jnr, who said:  "those who deny freedom for others deserve not to have it for themselves, and under a just God cannot long retain it"