Onyechi Ikpeazu, a renowned lawyer, made
headlines on Tuesday, following a landmark
victory at the Supreme Court, where
his client, Senator Ademola Adeleke, the incumbent governor of Osun, was
declared the legitimate winner of the July 16, 2022 governorship election. The
three-member panel of the appellate court, led by Mohammed Shuaibu, had
affirmed Adeleke’s victory in 2022, nullifying the judgment of the election
petition tribunal for “lacking merit.”
Justice Agim, in the Supreme Court judgment,
held that the appellant, Gboyega Oyetola, failed to prove the allegations of
over-voting and other irregularities in the conduct of the election. Here are
seven things to know about Onyechi Ikpeazu.
1. 1. Born on April 15,
1959, in Onitsha, Anambra, Dr Ikpeazu has been in active legal practice till
date. He served as the Chairman of the Onitsha Branch of the Nigerian Bar
Association and a National Executive Council (NEC) member of the national body,
NBA.
2. 2. The US-trained lawyer
was conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2007.
3. 3. Dr Ikpeazu has handled
several landmark cases, including MOJEKWU V. MOJEKWU; MOJEKWU V. IWUCHUKWU,
which preserved the inheritance right of a woman, and NGIGE V OBI, reported in
(2006) 14 NWLR (Part 999) 1. This decision brought the Labour Party (LP)
presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, to office as the duly elected Governor of
Anambra.
4. 4. It is worth noting
that Dr Ikpeazu is also one of the 12 SANs in Obi’s legal team, challenging the
victory of Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives
Congress (APC).
5. 5. Dr Ikpeazu is also
part of several Senatorial and National Assembly Election Petitions across the
country, making him a go-to legal practitioner for election-related matters.
6. 6. In addition to
election cases, Dr Ikpeazu has also provided legal representation in
international arbitrations across several jurisdictions.
7. 7. Dr Ikpeazu is happily married and blessed with children,
balancing his legal career with a fulfilling family life.
