Former Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has firmly refuted claims linking him to any corruption-related offence and reiterated his unwavering commitment to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). His response follows renewed scrutiny triggered by his nomination by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for an ambassadorial appointment, now pending Senate confirmation.
The controversy originated from a report commissioned by the administration of Governor Alex Otti. The 359-page document, prepared by KPMG and titled “Final Report: Provision of Process Review Services to Abia State Government,” allegedly highlighted irregularities in government processes during Ikpeazu’s tenure from 2015 to 2023.
However, Ikpeazu’s media adviser, Enyinnaya Appolos, insisted that the public has been misled about the nature and purpose of the document. According to him, the report has been wrongly portrayed as a financial audit or indictment, whereas it was strictly a process review—a technical evaluation of procedures, not an investigation into corruption.
Appolos emphasized that KPMG itself stated clearly in its submission to the Abia State Government that it did not act as a statutory auditor and was not assigned to assess or issue any opinion on the state’s financial records. A portion of the correspondence dated March 2, 2024, noted that the consultancy was not an audit, forensic examination, or inquiry and did not attempt to determine guilt, innocence, or financial misconduct by any individual.
He further explained that a process review simply checks whether procedures align with established guidelines and cannot, by definition, indict any official. Appolos dismissed the interpretation of the findings as politically motivated, adding that the Abia government under Ikpeazu never received up to ₦1 trillion in total revenue during his eight-year administration—contradicting claims of large-scale diversion.
Appolos also pointed out that since leaving office in 2023, Ikpeazu has never been summoned, charged, or investigated by any court or anti-corruption agency over alleged financial impropriety.
On the political front, he debunked rumors suggesting that Ikpeazu had defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He stressed that the former governor remains a dedicated PDP member, highlighting his recent attendance at a PDP stakeholders’ meeting on November 18, 2025 as evidence of his continued involvement in party affairs.
According to Appolos, any claim that Ikpeazu has abandoned the PDP is “baseless and easily disproven,” pointing to verifiable party records and public appearances.
With Senate screening underway, Ikpeazu’s camp maintains that the allegations circulating in the political space are rooted more in misinterpretation and mischief than in factual findings.
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