Former Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has strongly denied being indicted for corruption in any report, describing claims linking him to financial wrongdoing as a gross misrepresentation of a KPMG process review commissioned by the current state government.
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The rebuttal, issued on Sunday through his media adviser, Enyinnaya Appolos, comes amid controversy surrounding Ikpeazu’s recent nomination by President Bola Tinubu as a non-career ambassador-designate, a position awaiting Senate confirmation.
A recent analysis by newsmen had highlighted five ambassadorial nominees facing public controversies, with Ikpeazu flagged over a 2024 KPMG report titled “Final Report: Provision of Process Review Services to Abia State Government.” The 359-page document, reportedly submitted by the Abia State Government to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was said to have identified financial irregularities during Ikpeazu’s administration from 2015 to 2023.
However, Ikpeazu’s camp insisted the report was never a financial audit or forensic investigation capable of indicting anyone.
“What the current administration commissioned was a process review — not a financial audit, not a forensic investigation, and certainly not an indictment,” Appolos stated.
He quoted directly from the KPMG report dated March 2, 2024, which explicitly stated: “This assignment was not performed by us in the capacity of a statutory auditor. Hence, this is not any form of financial statement audit of ABSG or any entity listed in the report. We are, therefore, not required to render an opinion on the financial statements of ABSG or any entity listed in the report.”
The report further clarified that KPMG “did not conduct a trial or inquiry… act as a tribunal, commission of inquiry, or in any judicial or quasi-judicial role; perform any adjudicatory function whatsoever; or conduct any exercise aimed at determining whether any person was guilty or innocent of any offence.”
Appolos emphasized: “A process review cannot ‘indict’ anyone. It merely evaluates procedural compliance. It cannot make findings of guilt or wrongdoing.”
The former governor’s aide also dismissed as “impossible” allegations that Ikpeazu diverted N1.9 trillion, pointing out that Abia State did not generate or receive up to N1 trillion in total revenue throughout his eight-year tenure.
He further referenced earlier allegations of diversion of N10 billion meant for the abandoned Abia Airport project, noting that the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies had investigated and dismissed the claims as politically motivated.
“Since leaving office in May 2023, Dr. Ikpeazu has never been invited, charged, or prosecuted by any court or agency over corruption allegations,” Appolos added, describing his principal’s eight-year stewardship as one “without legal or administrative blemish.”
On speculation that Ikpeazu had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to secure the ambassadorial nomination, Appolos categorically denied the claim.
“His Excellency Okezie Ikpeazu has never defected to the APC. He remains a card-carrying and loyal member of the PDP,” he said, noting that Ikpeazu attended a PDP stakeholders’ meeting in the state on November 18, 2025 — just three weeks ago.
The former governor’s clearance for the ambassadorial role now rests with the Senate, which is expected to screen all nominees in the coming weeks.
-Magic FM
